Gulf of Chiriquí · Panama · Reef · Sand slope
Punta Coco
Boulders and sand under a frigate bird colony
Area photo: Mónica Mora · CC BY-SA 2.0
Punta Coco is the southeast point of Coco Island, fifteen minutes from the Islas Secas dock and under a frigate bird colony. Rock and boulder give way to open sand between 6 m and 22 m, and the island carries two dive options plus a shallow stretch good enough to snorkel. Longtail stingrays on the sand are the fixture here.
Where it is and how deep
7.9667° N, 82.0333° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Coco Island is fifteen minutes from the dock and the dive is on its southeast point, below a frigate bird colony. Underwater the ground is a mix of rock, boulder and open sand between 6 m and 22 m, and the island offers two separate diving options along with a shallow area that works as a snorkel.
The sand is where to look. Longtail stingrays settle on it, hawksbill turtles work the rock edges, parrotfish graze over the boulders and eagle rays and amberjacks move through. Humpback whales pass Coco Island during their season, which is a matter of luck on any given dive rather than something the site reliably delivers.
Marine life and season
- Stingrays
- Sea turtles
- Eagle rays
- Trevally & jacks
- Whales
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Fair | Good |
Season follows Gulf of Chiriquí: Dec–Apr is the dry season with the calmest crossings; Sep–Oct is rainier but overlaps the southern humpback migration.
Sources
- Diving in Panama - Islas Secas — Islas Secas Resort
More dive sites in Gulf of Chiriquí
Pinnacle
An 18–35 m rock in open sand, rated expert to technical
Seamount
A volcanic seamount that shows at low tide and drops to 35 m
Pinnacle
A pinnacle divers descend on a weighted line, current permitting
Garden corals on the outer rocks of Tres Marías
Similar dives elsewhere
Shallow rocky entry at 8 m, hammerheads scanned from 25 m
Giant manta rays over an offshore bank, 16 m at its deepest
Gorgonians on the vertical north wall of a submerged island
White sand to 15 m, no current, twenty minutes from town