Costa Rica trip report

[shaggie]

I just got back from my trip to the Manuel Antonio area of Costa Rica. The country is beautiful. I was really impressed with how wonderfully clean and picturesque the country and especialy the beaches in and around the national park were. We saw monkeys, sloths, coatamundie and had some breath taking views from the lookouts on the park trails. About the diving though, I am sad to say that I was really not overly impressed. The 25 ft vis and 3 to 4 ft surge didn't bother me (OK so maybe the surge a little, since I didn't take my dramamine), but the lack of marine life was disconcerting. Maybe it was wrong time of the year (Chris said that I missed the Mantas by a few weeks) or that MA is just not that great of a dive area, I can't say. Before I even left I did some research and found the cost for a 2 tank boat dive was $80 since I brought I my own gear. A little high IMO, but what the heck I said to myself, I'm near water why not check it out. The Pacific side of CR is known for large palegic encounters, so of course I was hoping for at least a shark or two. Non were to be found. Our dive guide was excited about a "large" dog tooth snapper hiding under a ledge and a "huge" puffer. We also saw some lobster and a couple of octopus. To me the most interesting thing was a bright blue "box fish", I have never seen one that color before.
I took my wife and daughter snorkling in a calm area I scouted out near some rocks on the west side of the park. That was pretty nice. There we saw a school of parrot fish grazing, a lobster, what was either a small baracuda or a trumpet fish (just caught a glimpse of it) and as many if not more fish in schools and alone than I did out in the deeper water near the islands. If I ever am in the area again, I'll pay the extra $$ and take the boat out to Cano Island.

John

 

[HerraduraDivers]

Oh,
i'm sorry that you don't saw so much as you expected.

To bad that you did not dove with is so you could confront both places,
because it seems strange to me that Manuel Antonio is "so low" of marine life as you describe.

Maybe it was the wrong day or the wrong dive site, a situation what con happen everywhere in the world.

Anyway, if you would like to go to Isla del Caño i would suggest that you go to Bahia Drake and dive from there.
Not only because the trip to Isla del Caño is much shorter, especialy because you will discover a breathtaking nature and
the "appetizer" you got in manuel Antonis is ways off the nature on the Osa Penisula and the Corcovado National park.

Best regards and thanks for have taken the time to visit me.

Chris

 

[billeelou]

I love CR, but the caribe side of diving is in my opinion not worth making a special trip, just to dive...I misposted my trip report in the cheapest CR/Panama dive thread....