LIVEABOARD DIVING IN Costa Rica
Discover the magic of Costa Rica's underwater world with our liveaboard diving trips. Dive into adventure and luxury in one unforgettable package
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liveaboards
Price from
USD 2,095 per trip
Biodiversity
Untouched Beauty
Luxury Trips
Costa Rica offers a breathtaking underwater world teeming with an array of marine life that sets it apart as a diving destination. Expect to see hammerhead sharks, manta rays, dolphins, and schools of colorful fish like angelfish and parrotfish. Unique creatures like sea turtles, moray eels, and nurse sharks also make frequent appearances. Alongside this rich biodiversity, Costa Rica's underwater landscapes feature stunning coral gardens and volcanic rock formations that are a haven for macro life such as nudibranchs and crustaceans. One of the distinguishing aspects of diving in Costa Rica is the opportunity to explore relatively untouched and remote sites. Liveaboard trips primarily depart from Puntarenas, and the closest airport is Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)
Destinations in Costa Rica
Cocos Island is indeed the crown jewel for Cocos Island liveaboard diving in Costa Rica. This remote paradise offers unparalleled diving experiences with its abundant marine life and unique underwater landscapes. Occasionally, Cano Island and Guanacaste can also be part of your exotic dive cruises itinerary, though these are rare additions. Cano Island, a biological reserve, is known for its crystal-clear waters and vibrant coral reefs teeming with diverse marine life. It's a serene contrast to the remote and rugged Cocos Island, offering a more tranquil diving experience. Guanacaste, on the other hand, provides a different flavor of diving with its varied underwater habitats. From coral gardens to bull shark encounters at the Bat Islands, Guanacaste diving is diverse and accessible, adding a dynamic range to your diving adventure
When To Go Diving in Costa Rica
The best time to dive in Costa Rica is indeed between May and November, coinciding with the wet season. This period offers the greatest chances to see a wide array of marine life due to nutrient-rich waters brought in by the rains. Currents during this time can be strong, so experience is recommended to navigate these conditions safely. Water temperatures during this period range from 21°C to 29°C (70°F to 85°F), depending on the season and the specific diving location. Warmer temperatures are typically found earlier in the season, while cooler waters are more common as the wet season progresses. These variations in temperature can affect the types of marine life divers encounter, as well as the overall diving experience
Water temperature
°CF
28 C
Jan
28 C
Feb
29 C
Mar
29 C
Apr
29 C
May
28 C
Jun
28 C
Jul
28 C
Aug
28 C
Sep
28 C
Oct
27 C
Nov
28 C
Dec
Must see dive sites in Costa Rica
Unveil the mysteries of Bat Islands, where adrenaline-pumping dives with bull sharks await. Explore the depths of Bajo Alcyone, a renowned seamount that serves as a magnet for large schools of hammerhead sharks. Marvel at the beauty of Manuelita, where the colorful marine biodiversity captivates divers of all levels. Whether it’s the adventurous Guanacaste diving or the thrilling Bat Island diving, Costa Rica offers unparalleled underwater adventures. Each site, with its unique characteristics, contributes to the rich mosaic of diving experiences that Costa Rica proudly offers. From the serene to the exhilarating, these destinations promise to satisfy the desires of divers seeking both beauty and thrill beneath the waves
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need Advanced Certification for Cocos Island Diving?
While the requirements may vary between different dive operators, diving at Cocos Island is generally considered to be for more experienced divers due to its strong currents and deeper dive sites. Many dive operators do require divers to have an Advanced Open Water Diver certification or equivalent experience. Some may also require a 50 dives minimum of logged dives, often in similar conditions. Nitrox certification can also be recommended given the depth and duration of some of the dives
How Do I Get to Cocos Island?
To get to Cocos Island, you'll typically start your journey from the mainland of Costa Rica, most often departing from Puntarenas. The trip to the island is usually undertaken by liveaboard boats, and it can take up to 36-48 hours to reach the destination due to its remote location in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 550 km off the coast of Costa Rica. While the travel time may reduce the total number of diving days compared to other destinations, the unique and pristine diving conditions at Cocos Island make the journey absolutely worth it. The island offers an unparalleled opportunity to dive with large pelagic species and explore untouched underwater landscapes
What are liveaboards in Costa Rica like?
Only a few liveaboards provide diving trips to Cocos Island, making it a truly exclusive destination. Among these are two operated by the Aggressor Fleet: Cocos Island Aggressor and Okeanos Aggressor II. Okeanos Aggressor II offers ample accommodation, great diving facilities, and special photography facilities, making it ideal for those looking to capture their underwater experiences. Okeanos Aggressor II boasts both covered and uncovered sun decks, sun loungers, a bar, and a grill. Of course, like any other Aggressor Fleets' liveaboards, this boat has everything to make your diving trip perfect.
The newer Cocos Island Aggressor is another custom-built vessel in the Aggressor Fleet. It offers a range of amenities for relaxation, including a sun deck with chaise lounges and deck chairs, as well as a bar and grill. The menu onboard is varied and abundant, featuring American feasts, barbecues, and local cuisine.
Sea Hunter stands as a unique offering that combines luxury with functionality. This spacious vessel caters to serious divers and photographers, providing individual gear lockers, specialized camera and strobe storage with both 110 & 220 AC power outlets, dual camera rinse tanks, and even a drone takeoff and landing pad. A well-equipped galley ensures meals and refreshments are up to par
Best liveaboards in Costa Rica
Sea Hunter
Price from USD 6,690Okeanos Aggressor II
Price from USD 4,799Cocos Island Aggressor
Price from USD 6,749Nautilus Explorer
Price from USD 2,095Reviews about Liveaboards
Okeanos Aggressor II
Diving. Cocos
Excellent diving in late July, despite almost non stop rain and constant grey sky.
Whale sharks, tigers and hammerhead on just about every dive.
But, it takes 1.5 days navigation to get fr... Read more
om Puntarenas to Cocos Island, the boat is small with not much spare spaces and very small cabins.
It is run the American way, eg with the aircon always on and always feeling cold, even when asking the staff to adjust it.
The chef is doing great on the presentation of the dishes, but it is mostly American cuisine with average qualit
Okeanos Aggressor II
Okeanos Aggressor II, May 28-June 7 2022
Wonderful trip, shark week and manta rays plus many other creatures. Crew is fantastic, chef’s meals are superb! We had illness on board, which crew handled professionally in my opinion and ... Read more
did everything possible to accommodate passengers. Aggressor provided testing, hotel (hotel personal were wonderful, very nice & clean accommodations), meals and transportation to airport due to returning 1-day early for everyone’s safety, I wish to thank them all.
Cocos Island Aggressor
Please improve!
Cocos Aggressor is the worst I been on.The cruise director didn’t flinch when I told him this was my 9th Aggressor and my induction to the Seven Seas Club.
The cruise director and the capt... Read more
ain was our DM that carries camera while guiding us. The captain was the worst that took too long of taking pictures. He only care about his photography. One diver surface alone and was far ahead. 3 divers was left filming school of jacks while he went ahead without signaling the divers. On several occasions, he lead us swimming thru currents while the other panga dove w the currents on the same site.
The cruise director led us to deep dives on every dives. And, on several dives there were only 1hr surface interval which affected NDL even diving on nitrox. Not everyone was treated equally. He also lead a land excursion which was quite dangerous. One diver was seriously injured and one almost swept away to the other side. Two pangas dropped off 20 divers that needs to swim to the beach with crashing waves was a disaster. As a cruise director, he should have noticed it was not safe to do the excursion and should have postponed it to a later time.
This is the first Aggressor I been on that VIP service was lacking. I had to asked for help carrying my camera. They are not attentive w divers coming up from a dive too busy chatting, especially, the captain.
And, this the first Aggressor that I had to clean my gear. They did not change the water after the 2nd dive and expected us to clean our gear in dirty water. The cruise director didn’t wait until all guests cleaned their gear. They prematurely dumped 3 water containers and we were left w one. Cruise director cleaned his gear/rental with the hose I been waiting for to clean my camera and regulator. I decided to take those items to my room to clean.
I commanded the waiter/chefs they made the experience torturable. The food was good, especially , the sushi party and was attentive w dietary needs. Also the crew was more concerned w bruises on my eyes/forehead from the beach outting than the director. I did wish that water pitcher should have been placed during meals and a linen napkins for dinner. Also, an acrylic wine glass have been good during the cruise like all other Aggressor I been on. This Aggressor needs to be par w other Aggressor. It made me sad that hold a low degree of the Aggressor standard.