Humpback song fills every dive from July through October
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftintermediate
Region
Diving in Eastern Pacific
16 curated dive destinations across 4 countries including Colombia and Costa Rica in Eastern Pacific. Conditions peak around Mar, Jul, Aug and Sep.
Bahía Solano · photo BlancaNDiaz
- Destinations
- 16
- Countries
- 4
- Peak season
- Mar–Sep
Common encountersReef sharksSea turtlesEagle raysDolphinsTrevally & jacks
Diving by country
What is diving in Eastern Pacific like?
The Eastern Pacific is where divers go for schooling hammerheads. The oceanic islands of Cocos, Malpelo and the Galápagos are reached only by liveaboard and are rated for advanced divers, with dives planned around the current and the cleaning stations where hammerhead schools circle. At Malpelo those schools can number more than two hundred.
Closer to the mainland, day boats reach volcanic islands and pinnacles. Whitetip reef sharks stack up by the dozen at Isla del Caño, bull sharks cruise past divers at the Big Scare in the Bat Islands, and Isla de la Plata off Ecuador has the largest known aggregation of oceanic manta rays. Humpback whales migrate along the coast in the middle of the year, and their song carries through dives at Bahía Solano and Coiba.
Best diving in Eastern Pacific for wrecks, big animals, beginners, macro and liveaboards
One destination per theme, picked from the species, dive types, access and site records on each destination page.
Wrecks
Bahía Solano
Colombia
Wreck diving is one of its main dive types, led by ARC Sebastián de Belalcázar, ex-USS Jicarilla.
Big animals
Cocos Island
Costa Rica
Hammerheads, whale sharks, tiger sharks and 2 more big species are all on its species list, as many as any destination here.
Beginners
Gulf of Papagayo & Playas del Coco
Costa Rica
Rated for beginners, with mild current.
Macro
Galápagos West (Isabela & Fernandina)
Ecuador
Muck and macro diving is one of its main dive types, with frogfish and macro critters on the species list.
Liveaboards
Cocos Island
Costa Rica
Dived only from liveaboards, best Jun–Oct; hammerheads and whale sharks are on its species list.
When is the best time to dive Eastern Pacific?
Peak seasons here are spread across the year; March and July–August have the most, with 8 of the 16 destinations at their best in each.
The leanest months are May and November–December, when Malpelo is still at its best.
Cocos Island, Galápagos, Galápagos and 2 more rate good or better in every month.
| Month | Prime | Good |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5 | 9 |
| Feb | 5 | 9 |
| Mar | 8 | 6 |
| Apr | 6 | 6 |
| May | 3 | 8 |
| Jun | 4 | 5 |
| Jul | 8 | 4 |
| Aug | 8 | 4 |
| Sep | 7 | 5 |
| Oct | 6 | 5 |
| Nov | 3 | 3 |
| Dec | 3 | 8 |
Compare every destination in Eastern Pacific
Tap a column heading to sort.
| Bahía Solano Colombia | Jul–Oct | 26–29°C | Intermediate | Whales | Day boat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bat Islands Costa Rica | Jul–Aug | 19–29°C | Advanced | Bull sharks | Day boat |
| Cocos Island Costa Rica | Jun–Oct | 23–28°C | Advanced | Hammerheads | Liveaboard |
| Coiba Panama | Jan–Mar | 20–29°C | Intermediate | Reef sharks | Day boat, Liveaboard |
| Galápagos — Central & South Islands Ecuador | Dec–May | 18–26°C | Intermediate | Hammerheads | Day boat |
| Galápagos — Darwin & Wolf Ecuador | Jul–Nov | 16–28°C | Advanced | Hammerheads | Liveaboard |
| Galápagos West (Isabela & Fernandina) Ecuador | Jan–Apr | 16–26°C | Advanced | Mola mola | Liveaboard |
| Gorgona Island Colombia | Jul–Sep | 25–29°C | Intermediate | Reef sharks | Day boat |
| Gulf of Chiriquí Panama | Mar–Apr | 24–29°C | Intermediate | Reef sharks | Day boat, Liveaboard |
| Gulf of Papagayo & Playas del Coco Costa Rica | Varies | 20–30°C | Beginner | Reef sharks | Day boat |
| Isla de la Plata Ecuador | Jun–Oct | 19–27°C | Intermediate | Manta rays | Day boat |
| Isla del Caño Costa Rica | Jan–Mar | 26–29°C | Intermediate | Reef sharks | Day boat |
| Islas Catalinas Costa Rica | Nov–Apr | 18–28°C | Advanced | Manta rays | Day boat |
| Malpelo Colombia | May–Dec | 17–28°C | Advanced | Hammerheads | Liveaboard |
| Nuquí & the Gulf of Tribugá Colombia | Mar–Aug | 25–30°C | Intermediate | Groupers | Day boat |
| Quepos & Manuel Antonio Costa Rica | Dec–Apr | 28–29°C | Intermediate | Reef sharks | Day boat |
Destination guides
16 guides
Best Jul–Aug
Bat Islands
Costa Rica
Bull sharks cruise past divers settled on the bottom at the Big Scare
19–29°C · 66–84°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftadvancedHundreds of scalloped hammerheads overhead on the Bajo Alcyone seamount
23–28°C · 73–82°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftadvancedHumpback whale song carries underwater during the mid-year migration season
20–29°C · 68–84°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftintermediateSchooling hammerheads at Gordon Rocks on a day trip from Puerto Ayora
18–26°C · 64–79°Fvis 12 m · 40 ftintermediateSchooling hammerheads over the rocky walls and slopes of Wolf and Darwin
16–28°C · 61–82°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftadvancedCold Cromwell Current upwelling brings mola mola, penguins and marine iguanas
16–26°C · 61–79°Fvis 15 m · 50 ftadvancedHundreds of whitetip reef sharks pile up in the shallows at El Remolino
25–29°C · 77–84°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftintermediateHannibal Bank rises from 400 m and pulls in billfish and tuna
24–29°C · 75–84°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftintermediateWhitetip reef sharks nap in rock caves 10 to 20 minutes from the beach
20–30°C · 68–86°Fvis 23 m · 75 ftbeginnerThe world's largest known aggregation of oceanic manta rays
19–27°C · 66–81°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftintermediateWhitetip reef sharks stack up by the dozen on volcanic pinnacles
26–29°C · 79–84°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftintermediateBest Nov–Apr
Islas Catalinas
Costa Rica
Oceanic manta rays pass the volcanic rocks from November to April
18–28°C · 64–82°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftadvancedHammerhead schools of 200-plus circle La Nevera's cold-water cleaning station
17–28°C · 63–82°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftadvancedBest Mar–Aug
Nuquí & the Gulf of Tribugá
Colombia
Rock formations south of Nuquí draw groupers, jacks and several shark species
25–30°C · 77–86°FintermediateShort boat rides to soft-coral canyons off Manuel Antonio National Park
28–29°C · 82–84°Fvis 22 m · 72 ftintermediate
Dive sites in Eastern Pacific
59 named sites · 16 destinations
Bahía SolanoColombia
5 sites
- La Piedra de la EsperanzaSeamount · 24–36 m
- La Piedra del FlacoReef · 9–36 m
- Los Vidales HundidosPinnacle · 6–27 m
- San TelmoReef · to 24 m
- Sebastián de BelalcázarWreck · 24–40 m
Bat IslandsCosta Rica
2 sites
- Big ScarePelagic & blue water · to 30 m
- Black RockPinnacle · to 24 m
Cocos IslandCosta Rica
5 sites
- Bajo AlcyoneSeamount · to 25 m
- Dirty RockPinnacle · 20–25 m
- Dos Amigos GrandePinnacle · 19–28 m
- ManuelitaReef · 22–35 m
- Punta MariaSeamount · 18–25 m
Galápagos — Central & South IslandsEcuador
5 sites
- BartolomeWall · 10–15 m
- Gordon RocksDrift · 8–30 m
- Kicker RockWall · to 20 m
- Mosquera NorthReef · to 12 m
- North Seymour ChannelChannel & pass · to 25 m
Galápagos — Darwin & WolfEcuador
3 sites
- Darwin's ArchPinnacle · 18–24 m
- Shark BayReef · 8–25 m
- The CaveCave & cavern · 15–20 m
Galápagos West (Isabela & Fernandina)Ecuador
2 sites
- Cabo MarshallWall · 10–20 m
- Punta Vicente RocaWall · 12–27 m
Gorgona IslandColombia
3 sites
- El RemansoReef · 10–25 m
- La MontañitaPinnacle · 5–35 m
- La TiburoneraReef · 10–30 m
Gulf of ChiriquíPanama
5 sites
- Bajo WillPinnacle · 18–35 m
- La BrujaSeamount · 5–35 m
- LighthousePinnacle · 6–24 m
- Punta CocoReef · 6–22 m
- Roosterfish PointReef · 6–25 m
Gulf of Papagayo & Playas del CocoCosta Rica
6 sites
- Cabeza de MonoReef · 9–23 m
- MerosPinnacle · to 18 m
- Punta ArgentinaReef · 8–27 m
- SorpresaReef · 14–34 m
- TortugaReef · 5–21 m
- ViradorReef · 9–24 m
Isla del CañoCosta Rica
5 sites
- Bajo del DiabloPinnacle · 6–45 m
- Barco HundidoPinnacle · 12–22 m
- Coral GardenCoral garden · 5–12 m
- Cueva del TiburónCave & cavern · 10–15 m
- ParaísoPelagic & blue water · 18–22 m
Islas CatalinasCosta Rica
4 sites
- ClásicoDrift · 10–30 m
- La ParedDrift · 12–21 m
- La PuntaDrift · 12–34 m
- Punta CatalinaPelagic & blue water · to 30 m
MalpeloColombia
7 sites
- El AcuarioSeamount · 27–50 m
- El AltarReef · 10–30 m
- El Bajo del MonstruoSeamount · 6–45 m
- La GringaWall · to 33 m
- La NeveraWall · 9–33 m
- La Puerta del CieloCave & cavern · 24–40 m
- Tres MosqueterosPinnacle · to 35 m
Nuquí & the Gulf of TribugáColombia
3 sites
- La RoñosaReef · to 15 m
- Piedra BonitaReef · to 18 m
- Piedra de FidelPinnacle · to 40 m