The Pacific Coast Dive Center is located in Playa Flamingo, near Tamarindo on Costa Rica’s North Pacific coast. The dive centre offers diving trips, snorkelling tours, PADI courses and private boat tours for beginners, certified divers and small groups.
Most regular dive trips are two-tank boat dives to the Catalina Islands. These volcanic rock formations are known for their diverse underwater landscape and a wide variety of marine life. Divers can experience rocky reefs, tropical schools of fish, rays, turtles, moray eels and, depending on the season, varying visibility and water conditions.
Diving with sharks
Encounters with sharks are among the special highlights of diving in this region of Costa Rica. Around the Catalina Islands and nearby dive sites, divers can, with a bit of luck, see whitetip reef sharks, blacktip sharks or nurse sharks. Rays, turtles and large schools of fish are also frequent companions underwater.
For an even more adventurous shark experience, the Bat Islands are the special destination. This remote area is known for the opportunity to observe bull sharks in their natural environment – without artificial feeding. Dives at the Bat Islands are, due to depth, current and open ocean conditions, particularly suitable for experienced and advanced divers. The peak season for bull sharks is usually between June and October.
Other special experiences
In addition to regular dive trips, the Pacific Coast Dive Center also offers snorkelling tours, Discover Scuba Diving for beginners, refresher dives, PADI certification courses, private dive trips, private snorkel and sunset tours, boat trips, and selected night dives.
The region’s possible marine life includes manta rays, mobula rays, sea turtles, dolphins, octopuses, pufferfish, moray eels and many colourful reef fish. For non-divers, snorkelling tours and private boat trips are a great way to experience the Pacific coast and its wildlife.
