1-year Trip to South America : Continent's best dive sites excluding Galapagos

[Scuba Scotty]

As the title states my girlfriend and I will be making a 1-year trip to South America. The Galapagos are already on itinerary. There must be other great places for diving as well? What are the very best dive sites the continent has to offer?

A list of places you can dive is not helpful, I'm looking for the places that a world-diver must dive.

Thanks so much for your time!

 

[diversteve]

Fernando de Noronha off Brazil.

It's renowned for its undeveloped beaches, and for scuba diving and snorkeling. Sea turtles, rays, dolphins and reef sharks swim in its warm, clear waters.

Bonaire is a short hop from Venezuela. Insel Air flies there from Caracas. Bonaire is the shore diving capital of the Caribbean. Your call on if it's "must dive" though. Bonaire Offical Site - Top Destination for Diving and Eco-Activities

Tobago has Mantas. Hammerhead diving in the Sisters. And the worlds largest Brain Coral. Probably a flight from Venezuela also - it's close enough that you might look for a ferry also. Trinidad and Tobago - The True Caribbean - Official Travel and Tourism Site

Are you limiting this to only South America? Or including Central America? Because Cocos Island off Costa Rica is probably 2nd only to the Galapagos in terms of sharks and diversity.

Cocos Island, Costa Rica

Apart from the 27 endemic fish species found on this tiny island 300 miles from the coast, there are white tip reef sharks, hammerheads, manta rays, giant moray eels, green sea turtles, and the occasional whale shark.

And there's the Belize Blue Hole on the Caribbean side. Makes some top 50 world dive site lists. Great Blue Hole | A Diver's Paradise: The Largest Discovered Underwater Sinkhole

Two I just copied from a top 10 list - know nothing about either:

Los Roques, Venezuela

Unspoiled. Untrodden. Untouched. However you want to call it, Los Roques is nothing less than pristine. Coral reefs, mangroves, and sea grass beds attract a melange of bright colored flora and fauna.

Malpelo Island, Colombia

Steep cliffs and sea caves dominate this marine sanctuary, declared a UNESCO world heritage site, 300 miles from the Colombian coast. Pricey and isolated but a one of a kind diving experience for the advanced dive enthusiast.

 

[Maxposeidon]

Malpelo Colombia def

 

[Scuba Scotty]

Thanks for the info DiverSteve and Max,

I will definitely check out Malpelo in Columbia. We, my girlfriend and I, will probably not be doing anything in Central America this trip. We have dived Belize and Mexico extensively (the cenotes are my favorite diving in the western hemisphere so far).

Aside from a few beach towns and the galapagos chain diving seems to be a relatively new endeavor in South America. Perhaps I wish I had, and knew how to use, a rebreather so I could explore... someday.

 

[Maxposeidon]

Thanks for the info DiverSteve and Max,

I will definitely check out Malpelo in Columbia. We, my girlfriend and I, will probably not be doing anything in Central America this trip. We have dived Belize and Mexico extensively (the cenotes are my favorite diving in the western hemisphere so far).

Aside from a few beach towns and the galapagos chain diving seems to be a relatively new endeavor in South America. Perhaps I wish I had, and knew how to use, a rebreather so I could explore... someday.

Scott,

we can train youo on the Hollis o Kiss rebreather if you want , just search for videos in you tube for Malpelo,and beleive me this videos are not photoshop or any bull**** , its true, you have basicly 1 or 2 operators from Panama to Malpelo even they do both in one trip Cocos and Malpelo
and from Colombia 2 operators.
See ya Max

 

[cephalopod2]

I'm looking for the places that a world-diver must dive.

I am Galapagos x5, Cocos x1 (10 days), Malpelo x1 (9 days) - all liveaboard trips but I have also dived Galapagos land-based out of Santa Cruz, San Cristobel and Isabela. The rest of my dive experience is in my profile.

"Must dive" is very subjective but personally I would not put Fernando de Noronha or Malpelo on "must dive" lists. Do some digging on Fernando de Noronha and I think you will find topside it is very beautiful, but the diving is not exceptional. I was researching it within the past year both online and via divers and my bar wasn't even as high as "must dive". If you're already there of course why not - but that wasn't your question.

I would put Galapagos and Cocos diving significantly above Malpelo diving. The Malpelo land visit is outstanding, but very few people on the liveaboard I was on managed it physically, despite their interest. In my experience, Malpelo diving is very hit and miss. Again if you research, I think you will find this consistent with many people's experiences -- of course luck always plays a role. In the area already and offered an incredible last-minute deal? Again, why not.

Have you budgeted for a Galapagos liveaboard? I would happily sacrifice diving in several areas in order to dive Galapagos by liveaboard. Land-based Galapagos can be very good, but Darwin and Wolf are blow your mind spectacular.

Bonaire I found interesting as an experience (pop tanks in the truck and run your own dives). It's Caribbean diving, but arguably worth doing for the overall experience if you don't often do 100% self-directed diving. If you do make it to BON, Bas Tol's Lac Cai night dive is a must do.

You might look into cold water Argentine diving. I dove with someone who recounted a couple very chilly dives that I would have signed up for were I in the area - I can't remember exactly where, and the wildlife as I remember his report wasn't dense, but it was interesting.

I would also probably dive Easter Island were I close by, against my better judgement. There's an informative trip report on ScubaBoard if you look for it.

Too bad you're not doing Costa Rica. Bat Islands land-based is worth doing.

Would be interested to hear how your dives went when you return.

 

[Rusty Roo]

1. malpelo,2. cocos 3. Galapagos if money is not an issue. i've ranked them in order of preference.

 

[Seanothon]

Bump. I'm planning the same. Backpacker budget. Any suggestions south of the Caribbean??

 

[drbill]

I am always shocked at how few divers seem to have dived South America (other than the Galapagos). It is the next continent on my list. I hope you will file reports on your dives as your trip unfolds.

 

[cephalopod2]

Bump. I'm planning the same. Backpacker budget. Any suggestions south of the Caribbean??

Costa Rica was outside the OP's range but it is in yours. Suggest you look into Playas del Coco (Guanacaste). Lots of cheap accommodation and reasonable dive prices.

The best diving there is at Bat Islands (Isla Murcielago). Very few places in the world you can reliably see bull sharks up close without feeding them and they are at The Big Scare year round. That's a more expensive trip than the local dives (sites are a lot further away) but worth giving up a couple days of local dives IMO. Any op will take you in Bats 'season'. Out of 'season' only Rocket Frog runs trips and they need a minimum number of divers and decent weather. There's a good chance of other pelagics (e.g. mantas, schooling rays) depending on when you go as well.

If you can't get to Bats, you may also find the local sites interesting, esp if you haven't done much diving in the eastern Pacific. Be prepared for cooler water, lower to low vis and the possibility of currents. Some people don't like Pacific CR diving for those reasons, but with the right expectations I think it is can be very interesting.

Some folks also love the Catalina Islands (shorter boat trip than Bats, cost between Bats and local dives, and some believe greater chances of mantas than at the local sites).

More info in the Central America forum.