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A whitetip reef shark resting on pale sand beside a dark volcanic rock ledge, seen from above — Gulf of Papagayo & Playas del Coco

Gulf of Papagayo & Playas del Coco · Costa Rica · Reef

Virador

A shark cave at 10 m and whitetips resting at 22 m

Area photo: Chris Spain · CC0

Virador is a low volcanic island in the Gulf of Papagayo, dived between 9 and 24 m (30 to 80 ft). A shark cave sits at 10 m (33 ft), and deeper down large diamond stingrays and whitetip reef sharks rest at 22 m (70 ft). It is rated easy, with current at times.

Also known as Turn around.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Virador: typical dive 9–24 m (30–80 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit9 m24 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

10.6131° N, 85.6882° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

Virador is a low-lying volcanic island, dived between about 9 m (30 ft) and 24 m (80 ft). A shark cave sits at 10 m (33 ft), and current runs at times around the island. Cabeza de Mono lies just a small sand channel away.

At 22 m (70 ft) large diamond stingrays and whitetip reef sharks rest, and the island is crowded with huge schools of grunts, snapper, king angelfish and sergeant majors. That deeper part of the dive lies within the band where the thermocline sits, between 15 and 30 m, and below it the water can drop to 20 °C from December to March.

Marine life and season

  • Reef sharks
  • Stingrays
  • Reef fish swarms
Month-by-month season rating for Virador
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairFairFairFairFairFairFairFairFairFair

Season follows Gulf of Papagayo & Playas del Coco: Boats run every day all year; December to March brings the coolest water, down to 20 °C, and June to August the warmest.

Know before you go

  • Current runs at times around the island.
  • Below the thermocline, which lies between 15 and 30 m, the water is much colder, down to 20 °C from December to March.

Dive videos

Beauty of Virador · Sirenas Diving Costa Rica on YouTube

Questions divers ask

Where are the sharks at Virador?+

There is a shark cave at 10 m (33 ft), and whitetip reef sharks rest with large diamond stingrays at 22 m (70 ft).

Sources

  1. Dive sites Golfo Papagayo - Papagayo Gulf — Deep Blue Diving
  2. Local Dive | Summer-Salt — Summer-Salt Dive Center
  3. Playa Virador (OpenStreetMap) — OpenStreetMap contributors

More dive sites in Gulf of Papagayo & Playas del Coco

Reef

Cabeza de Mono

Eagle ray schools passing a rock shaped like a gorilla's head

9–23 mbeginner

Pinnacle

Meros

A small pinnacle named for its giant groupers

to 18 mbeginner

Reef

Punta Argentina

Rock fingers running into the deep, with frogfish and stingrays

8–27 mintermediate

Reef

Sorpresa

Fish spiralling from the ocean floor to the surface

14–34 madvanced

Reef

Tortuga

A sunken fishing boat at 18 m beside a whitetip shark cave

5–21 mbeginner

Similar dives elsewhere

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Iglesia

Coiba · Panama

Calm 22 m reef with frogfish, sea snakes and passing mantas

to 22 mintermediate

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Punta Coco

Gulf of Chiriquí · Panama

Boulders and sand under a frigate bird colony

6–22 mintermediate

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Bajo Copé

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Giant manta rays over an offshore bank, 16 m at its deepest

to 16 mintermediate

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El Faro

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A canyon and swim-through back to the island from 30 m

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