Coral Diving in Costa Rica

The Central American country of Costa Rica was etched in the minds of divers when the BBC’s The Blue Planet series first broadcast its epic footage of white-tipped reef sharks feeding en masse at night. This mesmerising footage had divers opening search engines and typing in ‘Cocos Island’ to learn that this footage was filmed off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The Cocos Island National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, ranking among both the best and most remote diving destinations on the planet, is home to the best coral diving in Costa Rica.

If you have heard tales of the 36-hour cruise out to the island and been put off, rewatch The Blue Planet, and you will soon re-evaluate your standpoint. The name Costa Rica translates to 'Rich Coast', and a liveaboard trip to Cocos will reveal why: white-tipped reef sharks, black-tipped reef sharks, bull sharks, hammerhead sharks, eagle rays, tuna, manta rays, dolphins and whale sharks await.

And all set to the backdrop of the best coral diving in Costa Rica. Scientific data show a high recovery in coral coverage after the bleaching events at the end of the last century. The reefs are healthy, with nearly 4,700 marine species recorded at Cocos Island, and the diversity is mirrored topside. A guided tour of the island itself, which inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island and Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park, will reward you with endemic birds, reptiles and impressive tropical flora.

Pair your liveaboard trip to Cocos Island with land-based exploration of the Osa Peninsula and Corcovado National Park to experience the best big-fish and coral diving in Costa Rica alongside some of Central America's most diverse and impressive rainforests.