roburns
21-12-03, 23:14
Hi folks, just back from Costa Rica so I though I would report on the diving. I just completed my PADI OW the day before flying out so these dives were my first for real!
I did four dives around the Catalinas islands on the NW Pacific coast. The islands are about 1hr by boat from either Tamarindo or Playa coco and are volcanic stacks.
Currents are quite strong but OK below about 12M
Visibility 10-15 metres depending on location.
Not a huge amount of hard coral around these islands but loads of gorgonians, sea whips etc. On one of the dives we did see loads of Tubastrea coccinea growing on the rock faces at about 18M in full light as opposed to caves and overhangs as stated in literature.
Fish were amazing: masses of butterflies, angels, jacks, schools of barracuda, puffer fish, pocupines, schools of tangs. On one of the dives we also dived a gully at 21 M which had 6 white tip sharks very peacefully drifting about. We also so 2 eagle rays on this dive.
Not a fabulous place for hard coral enthusiasts but for the shear wealth of fish life amazing.
For my first "proper" dives this was an amazing experience and if anybdy is going to this area I can thoroughly recommend "Agua rica" dive school at Tamarindo who organised these dives for me
Rob
I did four dives around the Catalinas islands on the NW Pacific coast. The islands are about 1hr by boat from either Tamarindo or Playa coco and are volcanic stacks.
Currents are quite strong but OK below about 12M
Visibility 10-15 metres depending on location.
Not a huge amount of hard coral around these islands but loads of gorgonians, sea whips etc. On one of the dives we did see loads of Tubastrea coccinea growing on the rock faces at about 18M in full light as opposed to caves and overhangs as stated in literature.
Fish were amazing: masses of butterflies, angels, jacks, schools of barracuda, puffer fish, pocupines, schools of tangs. On one of the dives we also dived a gully at 21 M which had 6 white tip sharks very peacefully drifting about. We also so 2 eagle rays on this dive.
Not a fabulous place for hard coral enthusiasts but for the shear wealth of fish life amazing.
For my first "proper" dives this was an amazing experience and if anybdy is going to this area I can thoroughly recommend "Agua rica" dive school at Tamarindo who organised these dives for me
Rob