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Best Diving Destinations in Panama

About scuba diving in Panama

Panama is the southernmost country of Central America, and its coastlines border both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica. The capital is Panama City. Panama is divided into ten provinces and has a total of ten cities. It is one of the most attractive tourism destinations in the world. Local airlines serve many airports in Panama. International flights arrive at Tocumen International Airport (PTY), which lies about 32km/20mi east of Panama City. Its tropical environment supports an abundance of plants: there are 2,000 species of flowering plants. Panama's jungle is home to an abundance of tropical plants, animals and birds, and some of them cannot be found anywhere else in the world. There are nearly 500 rivers, 350 kinds of reptiles, and over 900 different bird species. Panama controls the Panama Canal that links the North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean, one of the most important shipping routes in the world and the most famous destination in Panama. Panama has some amazing beaches all over the country. Scuba diving at in Panama has something for everyone. Gatun Lake, next to the Panama Canal, makes for a unique diving destination, but diving here is not for everyone: it can be kind of spooky to hear an ocean-going vessel rumbling overhead, with its enormous propellers creating considerable turbulence. The second tourist destination is Casco Antiguo (or Casco Viejo), currently a UNESCO protected site. Scuba diving offers incredible opportunities with amazing marine life, including 250 species of reef and game fish and 52 different kinds of coral. Here, divers can find five species of sea turtles, humpback whales, whale sharks, black-tips, white-tips, tiger sharks, damselfish, sergeant majors, yellowtail snappers, butterfly fish, dolphins, schools of tuna, spotted drums, and moray eels. Colorful soft coral and sponges are home to a variety of macro life, such as cowries, arrow crabs, nudibranches, and more. The main diving areas are Portobelo, Bocas del Toro, Pearl Islands, Panama City, Coiba Island, Azuero Peninsula and the San Blas Islands.

When to go to Panama

Panama has a tropical climate. The best diving months are April, May, November, and December. Almost all of the rainfall is usually from April to December, but varies in length from seven to nine months. The average daytime temperatures range from 24-32C/75-90F. The warmest water in Panama is in Panama City, where water temperatures are 29C/84F, and the lowest water temperature is in David, which is 28C/82F. The water visibility varies from 15m/49ft to 30m/98ft and is always dependent on weather conditions.

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