read an article about diving with us in Panama, published in
DIVER May 2005 by Jacquie Cozens
and others published in UNDERCURRENT Mar 2006 & May 2007
DIVER May 2005 by Jacquie Cozens
and others published in UNDERCURRENT Mar 2006 & May 2007
DIVING IN COIBA AND SANTA CATALINA / PANAMA
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diving conditions and dive sites of Coiba and the Chiriqui
gulf of Panama and some facts, mysteries, what to expect
and what not
Based on our experience as first dive center we have collected diving here since
2003 we want to try to give you some basic informations helping you to plan your
dive adventure in Panama.
Tidal exchange of 2 - 5 meters / 6 - 15 ft is present in this area of Panama and causes at
some times currents at several places, what can affect the diving in Coiba as well as
around Santa Catalina. Currents can be strong depending on tides, moon phases and
dive sites. Some of the best dive sites are frequently swept by currents, therefor they are
the best but you should not accept "swimming pool" conditions on every dive.
The visibility around Coiba is usually between 12 and 25 meters / 40-80 ft, closer to the
Pacific coast of Panama it is between 10 and 20 meters / 35-70 ft, but can be worse,
depending on currents, thermo climes and tides. You should not expect always perfect
visibility on every dive.
The water temperature at the surface is around 27-29 C / 80-85 F all the year. At depth
it can drop to around 24 C / 75 F, sometimes lower to 19 C / 66 F. A 3 mm shorty or full
wet suit is recommended the year around, from late January to mid of May a 5 mm full suit
is a good option at least for serious divers planning on doing more than one or two days of
diving.
The weather conditions and seasons are changing between a dry season December
- May and a rainy season from May to December.
At the beginning of the dry season in December and January visibility can be best and
reaches sometimes 30 or more meters / 100 or more feet. Currents can be very strong
this time of the year. Beginning end of January / mid of February till end of March / mid of
April a continuous north wind brings very dry weather but can affect the surface conditions
and may restrict the access to remote dive sites in the open sea. The upwelling caused
by the north wind and the influence of Pacific currents bring lots of nutrients and with it
big schools of migrating pelagic fish like manta rays, giant pelagic sting rays, tunas,
amber jacks, even Orca whales and more. But this conditions also bring a thermo clime of
19-20 C / 66-68 F reaching up to 25 - 30 meters / 80-100 ft depth. While the visibility at the
surface and also down in the cold water is excellent a layer of greenish water between the
two layers starting between 5-15 meter / 15-50 feet depending on dive sites and tides can
reduce the visibility.
In the rainy season the wind ceases and the water calms, the thermo climes are deeper
and till July and August the visibility can range between 12 - 20 meter / 40 - 65 feet down to
recreational depth limits, also the water temperature does not drop lower than 24-26 C /
75-78 F all the way down. Thunderstorms and heavy rain should be expected in the later
afternoons. Humpback whales are visiting the area from July to October. September and
October are the wettest months, winds can make the surface choppy, big amounts of fresh
water in the rivers can reduce the visibility especially at sites close to mainland or to big
rivers at Coiba and lower the surface temperature to 25 C / 76 F. Diving is still excellent this
time of the year, but because of rain and wind it is recommended to take a multi day trip
into consideration, staying at the ranger station at Coiba, having a lot of dive sites within 15
minutes boat ride from there avoiding lengthy daily boat rides from and to Santa Catalina.
If you are browsing the internet looking for information about Coiba and its marine life
you will find a lot of stories about big sharks, giant sharks and schools of sharks. It is a fact
that 33 species of sharks have been spotted including hammerhead-, bull-, tiger- and
whale sharks. But it is also a fact, that they are not a regular or common sighting. What
you will see for (almost) sure are lots of white tip reef sharks the year around, as are
big schools of snappers, jacks, grunts, barracudas, bat fish, colourful reef fish like
angelfish, butterfly fish, surgeon-, trigger- and parrot fish, all kinds of moray eels and rare
fish like frog fish or sea horse. At certain times of the year you will see big schools of small
manta rays (mobulas)and other schooling rays like pelagic sting rays, eagle rays or cow
nosed rays. There is a fair chance of seeing turtles and also giant mantas, whale sharks
and big sharks from time to time at certain dive sites, but don´t expect being surrounded by
100´s of hammerheads at every dive.
gulf of Panama and some facts, mysteries, what to expect
and what not
Based on our experience as first dive center we have collected diving here since
2003 we want to try to give you some basic informations helping you to plan your
dive adventure in Panama.
Tidal exchange of 2 - 5 meters / 6 - 15 ft is present in this area of Panama and causes at
some times currents at several places, what can affect the diving in Coiba as well as
around Santa Catalina. Currents can be strong depending on tides, moon phases and
dive sites. Some of the best dive sites are frequently swept by currents, therefor they are
the best but you should not accept "swimming pool" conditions on every dive.
The visibility around Coiba is usually between 12 and 25 meters / 40-80 ft, closer to the
Pacific coast of Panama it is between 10 and 20 meters / 35-70 ft, but can be worse,
depending on currents, thermo climes and tides. You should not expect always perfect
visibility on every dive.
The water temperature at the surface is around 27-29 C / 80-85 F all the year. At depth
it can drop to around 24 C / 75 F, sometimes lower to 19 C / 66 F. A 3 mm shorty or full
wet suit is recommended the year around, from late January to mid of May a 5 mm full suit
is a good option at least for serious divers planning on doing more than one or two days of
diving.
The weather conditions and seasons are changing between a dry season December
- May and a rainy season from May to December.
At the beginning of the dry season in December and January visibility can be best and
reaches sometimes 30 or more meters / 100 or more feet. Currents can be very strong
this time of the year. Beginning end of January / mid of February till end of March / mid of
April a continuous north wind brings very dry weather but can affect the surface conditions
and may restrict the access to remote dive sites in the open sea. The upwelling caused
by the north wind and the influence of Pacific currents bring lots of nutrients and with it
big schools of migrating pelagic fish like manta rays, giant pelagic sting rays, tunas,
amber jacks, even Orca whales and more. But this conditions also bring a thermo clime of
19-20 C / 66-68 F reaching up to 25 - 30 meters / 80-100 ft depth. While the visibility at the
surface and also down in the cold water is excellent a layer of greenish water between the
two layers starting between 5-15 meter / 15-50 feet depending on dive sites and tides can
reduce the visibility.
In the rainy season the wind ceases and the water calms, the thermo climes are deeper
and till July and August the visibility can range between 12 - 20 meter / 40 - 65 feet down to
recreational depth limits, also the water temperature does not drop lower than 24-26 C /
75-78 F all the way down. Thunderstorms and heavy rain should be expected in the later
afternoons. Humpback whales are visiting the area from July to October. September and
October are the wettest months, winds can make the surface choppy, big amounts of fresh
water in the rivers can reduce the visibility especially at sites close to mainland or to big
rivers at Coiba and lower the surface temperature to 25 C / 76 F. Diving is still excellent this
time of the year, but because of rain and wind it is recommended to take a multi day trip
into consideration, staying at the ranger station at Coiba, having a lot of dive sites within 15
minutes boat ride from there avoiding lengthy daily boat rides from and to Santa Catalina.
If you are browsing the internet looking for information about Coiba and its marine life
you will find a lot of stories about big sharks, giant sharks and schools of sharks. It is a fact
that 33 species of sharks have been spotted including hammerhead-, bull-, tiger- and
whale sharks. But it is also a fact, that they are not a regular or common sighting. What
you will see for (almost) sure are lots of white tip reef sharks the year around, as are
big schools of snappers, jacks, grunts, barracudas, bat fish, colourful reef fish like
angelfish, butterfly fish, surgeon-, trigger- and parrot fish, all kinds of moray eels and rare
fish like frog fish or sea horse. At certain times of the year you will see big schools of small
manta rays (mobulas)and other schooling rays like pelagic sting rays, eagle rays or cow
nosed rays. There is a fair chance of seeing turtles and also giant mantas, whale sharks
and big sharks from time to time at certain dive sites, but don´t expect being surrounded by
100´s of hammerheads at every dive.
diving in Coiba
"Think of the number of fish you have seen elsewhere and double it. Think
about the size of the fish you have seen and double that as well. That sums
up the promise of diving... ...Coiba" (DIVER May 2005).
"So many fish swam over, under and around us that I gave up naming and
counting and just enjoyed them" (UNDERCURRENT March 2006)
The national park includes the islands of Coiba, Rancheria, Jicaron, Jicarita, Afuerita,
Canal de Afuera, Uvas, Contreras, Pajaros, Brincanco and covers an area of 270.125
ha, of which more than 80% is sea and it contains the largest coral reef in the tropical
Eastern Pacific. Just a short distance off its west coast, at Hannibal Bank and Jicaron, the
sea drops down to several 1000 feet / meters. Because of the upwelling of deep-sea water
and the mixture of different Pacific currents you will find here an incredible abundance of
fish and other marine life.
Encounters with whitetip reef sharks, different rays and turtles is quite normal, as is
swimming with schools of surgeon-, butterfly- and angel fish, barracudas, Pacific spade fish,
jacks and tunas. Also sightings of humpback (July to September) and pilot whales, orcas,
dolphins, tiger-, bull- and hammerhead sharks, as well as whale sharks are possible at
certain times.
Diving can truly be called spectacular and is often compared to Cocos Islands and
Galapagos. The Lonely Planet for Panama describes it as the best between Mexico and
Colombia.
We offer daily 2 tank dive trips, as well as special multiple days trips to the national park.
During the multiple days trips we are using the ANAM scientific station as our camp. Except
otherwise outlined in trip descriptions we are sleeping and eating (breakfast and dinner,
lunch sometimes at the station, sometimes at a beach) at the station. There are no other
accommodations in the park. Check out the usual trip outline at our itinerary page for more
information.
Every cabin has 2 dormitories for 5 to 6 people each and a bathroom per dormitory. The
accommodation is basic, though the rooms have air condition. But as electricity is provided
by a diesel driven generator, who breaks down from time to time, or the rangers are short
on fuel, or both, air condition as well as light is not always available the whole time.
Due to the unique terrestrial flora and fauna as well as beautiful beaches and snorkeling
spots, it is also a very worthwhile destination for non-divers. We gladly can organize also
eco adventure trips to the national park for non divers or in addition to your dive experience.
"Think of the number of fish you have seen elsewhere and double it. Think
about the size of the fish you have seen and double that as well. That sums
up the promise of diving... ...Coiba" (DIVER May 2005).
"So many fish swam over, under and around us that I gave up naming and
counting and just enjoyed them" (UNDERCURRENT March 2006)
The national park includes the islands of Coiba, Rancheria, Jicaron, Jicarita, Afuerita,
Canal de Afuera, Uvas, Contreras, Pajaros, Brincanco and covers an area of 270.125
ha, of which more than 80% is sea and it contains the largest coral reef in the tropical
Eastern Pacific. Just a short distance off its west coast, at Hannibal Bank and Jicaron, the
sea drops down to several 1000 feet / meters. Because of the upwelling of deep-sea water
and the mixture of different Pacific currents you will find here an incredible abundance of
fish and other marine life.
Encounters with whitetip reef sharks, different rays and turtles is quite normal, as is
swimming with schools of surgeon-, butterfly- and angel fish, barracudas, Pacific spade fish,
jacks and tunas. Also sightings of humpback (July to September) and pilot whales, orcas,
dolphins, tiger-, bull- and hammerhead sharks, as well as whale sharks are possible at
certain times.
Diving can truly be called spectacular and is often compared to Cocos Islands and
Galapagos. The Lonely Planet for Panama describes it as the best between Mexico and
Colombia.
We offer daily 2 tank dive trips, as well as special multiple days trips to the national park.
During the multiple days trips we are using the ANAM scientific station as our camp. Except
otherwise outlined in trip descriptions we are sleeping and eating (breakfast and dinner,
lunch sometimes at the station, sometimes at a beach) at the station. There are no other
accommodations in the park. Check out the usual trip outline at our itinerary page for more
information.
Every cabin has 2 dormitories for 5 to 6 people each and a bathroom per dormitory. The
accommodation is basic, though the rooms have air condition. But as electricity is provided
by a diesel driven generator, who breaks down from time to time, or the rangers are short
on fuel, or both, air condition as well as light is not always available the whole time.
Due to the unique terrestrial flora and fauna as well as beautiful beaches and snorkeling
spots, it is also a very worthwhile destination for non-divers. We gladly can organize also
eco adventure trips to the national park for non divers or in addition to your dive experience.
Islands around Sta. Catalina
(Octavia, Pelonas, Cebaco, Cativo)
We are diving our "house sites" in daily dive trips, including 2 dives on 2 different spots. If
possible, we are resting between the dives at a secluded sandy beach, what makes these
trips also very popular for non-diving family members and friends.
The dive sites are outside the national park of Coiba, closer to Santa Catalina; some
of the spots can be reached in as less as 15 to 30 minutes.
Diving outside the national park does not mean, that it´s worse.
"Our dives around Santa Catalina...where notable for their huge
aggregations of schooling fish. There were enormous schools of oversized
jacks, snappers and grunts and numerous moray eels" (DIVER May 2005).
"Again, splendid fish action, plus green and brown morays that squirmed
around the rocks" (UNDERCURRENT March 2006).
Many of our dive spots can be compared to sites within the national park. Besides tons of
snappers, jacks, tunas, butterfly-, angel- puffer fish and free swimming moray eels, what
you can see here at almost every dive, we have seen here also whale sharks, whitetip
sharks, bull sharks, manta- and eagle rays, dolphins, humpback- and pilot whales, as well
as turtles at certain times.
At these dive sites you guaranteed don´t meet other divers in the water and as we still are
discovering regularly new spots, you well might be the first human diving here.
Check out our photo gallery to get a better idea.
(Octavia, Pelonas, Cebaco, Cativo)
We are diving our "house sites" in daily dive trips, including 2 dives on 2 different spots. If
possible, we are resting between the dives at a secluded sandy beach, what makes these
trips also very popular for non-diving family members and friends.
The dive sites are outside the national park of Coiba, closer to Santa Catalina; some
of the spots can be reached in as less as 15 to 30 minutes.
Diving outside the national park does not mean, that it´s worse.
"Our dives around Santa Catalina...where notable for their huge
aggregations of schooling fish. There were enormous schools of oversized
jacks, snappers and grunts and numerous moray eels" (DIVER May 2005).
"Again, splendid fish action, plus green and brown morays that squirmed
around the rocks" (UNDERCURRENT March 2006).
Many of our dive spots can be compared to sites within the national park. Besides tons of
snappers, jacks, tunas, butterfly-, angel- puffer fish and free swimming moray eels, what
you can see here at almost every dive, we have seen here also whale sharks, whitetip
sharks, bull sharks, manta- and eagle rays, dolphins, humpback- and pilot whales, as well
as turtles at certain times.
At these dive sites you guaranteed don´t meet other divers in the water and as we still are
discovering regularly new spots, you well might be the first human diving here.
Check out our photo gallery to get a better idea.
updated May 2009
diving Coiba National Park Panama since 2003
