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Scuba Diving Providencia Colombia

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Grunts, Squirrelfish, & Snappers - Providencia, Colombia
Grunts, Squirrelfish, & Snappers – Providencia, Colombia

Updated August 6, 2022

This is the one hundred and twenty-first in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations around the world.  In this post, the focus is on Providencia, Colombia. In addition to this series on dive resort locations, the best worldwide liveaboard diving locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you been diving in Providencia, Colombia before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Providencia Location Map

Scuba Diving Providencia Colombia

Background

Providencia and the much smaller Santa Catalina Islands (connected by a footbridge) are part of the San Andrés archipelago.  Although governed by Colombia they are situated only 230 kilometers (144 miles) from Nicaragua, 770 kilometers (481 miles) from Jamaica, and 750 kilometers (469 miles) from Colombia.  With a population of around 5,000, the islands cover 22 square kilometers (8.5 square miles).  Culturally more Caribbean than South American, San Andrés-Providencia Creole, English, and Spanish are spoken.  Tourism and scuba diving are major contributors to the economy.

Undersea World

Providencia has the reputation of being the top dive site in Colombia.

The world’s 3rd longest barrier reef at 20 miles runs off the east coast of the island.  A major portion of the reef has been designated a UNESCO protected area, the 995-hectare Seaflower Biosphere Reserve.

Diving is excellent all around the two islands with an underwater terrain of steep walls, cliffs, caves, rock shelves, and blue holes, with wrecks including pirate ships and historic galleons on more than 40 dive sites.

The pristine reefs are characterized by lots of colorful sponges, gorgonians, hard and soft corals, and rich marine life that includes a variety of macro critters like octopus, squid, slipper and spiny lobster, crabs, coral shrimp, seahorses, urchins, and other invertebrates, reef tropicals including parrotfish, trumpetfish, wrasses, filefish, grunts, snappers, squirrelfish, angelfish, and butterflyfish, and jacks, barracuda, southern stingrays, eagle rays, grouper, nurse and Caribbean reef sharks, and turtles.

Although the islands have a very laid-back atmosphere, the equipment and dive operations are at a very professional level.

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is possible year-round in Providencia.

  • Air temperature stays in a range of 28-32°C (82-89°F) for average daily highs.
  • The water temperature is likewise warm year-round in a range of 27-29°C (81-84°F).  A 3mm wetsuit will likely be the most thermal protection needed.
  • The rainy season runs from June through November. Diving isn’t normally interrupted for long.  Hurricanes are also possible at this time.
  • Currents are variable depending on the tides and location.  They are often mild but can be strong on some sites. Surface chop can also be a factor at times.
  • Visibility is usually in the 15-30 meter (50-100 foot) range.

There are sites suitable for all levels of diver.  More than half a dozen dive shops operate in Providencia, some in or associated with hotels, that offer a full range of diving coursework, equipment rental, guiding, and boat cruises.

Liveaboard Diving

None of the major liveaboard yachts travel to Providencia.  However, there are quite a few that cruise relatively nearby Belize and Honduras, and other Caribbean dive sites.

Roatan Aggressor Liveaboard Dive Boat Hunduras

Roatan Aggressor, Roatan, Honduras Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price

Belize Aggressor III Belize Liveaboard Diving

Belize Aggressor III, Belize Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price

Bahamas Master - Bahamas Liveaboard Dive Boat

Bahamas Master, Bahamas Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price

For reviews of diving in Caribbean locations, please check out these posts:

Providencia Dive Sites Map

Selected Providencia Dive Sites

Blue Hole: 18-40 meters (60-130 feet), northeast of Santa Catalina Island, a sloping reef which becomes a steep drop-off at 18 meters (60 feet), some smaller individual corals and large brain and lettuce corals, lots of fish including jacks, margaritas, and snappers, suitable for experienced level divers

Table Rock: <2-8 meters (5-25 feet), near Point of Reef  16.8 kilometers (10.5 miles) from the northern point of Santa Catalina Island, a number of interconnected caves, large schools of silversides, and reef tropicals, nurse sharks, suitable for snorkelers and all levels of diver

Felipe’s Place: 9-24 meters (30-80 feet), named for local dive shop owner/diver Felipe Cabea, coral shoal topping at 10 meters (35 feet),  includes walls and terraces covered in a colorful variety of corals, sponges, gorgonians, and black coral, rich marine life including crabs, lobster, urchins and reef tropicals,  turtles, sharks, and barracuda are possibilities, suitable for all levels of diver

Stairway to Heaven: 24-36 meters (80-120 feet), a sandy sloping channel starting at 24 meters (80 feet) that drops off steeply at 36 meters (120 feet), there are a couple of walls and 3 step formations, colorful soft and hard corals, huge tube sponges, the drop-off extends to 52 meters (170 feet) where there is a big open cave, lots of macro critters and reef tropicals, rays, sharks, and big turtles are possibilities,  currents can be strong, suitable for experienced level divers

NX: 24-61 meters (80-200 feet), a wall with a broad crack, step-like decline ending with a cave at 42 meters (140 feet), from the cave is a chimney to the reef top, rich marine life, suitable for experienced level and technical divers, depending on the depth attempted

Turtle Rock: 15-42 meters (50-140 feet), turtle-shaped rock 12 meters (40 feet) high, 6 meters (20 feet) in width, and 10 meters (35 feet) in length, lots of multicolored sponges and corals on the underside, part of a diverse seascape that includes a wall, a crack and cave, rich marine life in the nooks and crannies, possible pelagics, barracuda, horse-eye jacks, turtles, and big Caribbean reef sharks, suitable for experienced level divers

Tete’s Place: 7-9 meters (23-30 feet), coral shoal close to shore, sandy and rocky bottom with hard corals, step-like descent, sections of seagrass and algae, lots of schooling grunts, snappers, and squirrelfish, moray eels, suitable for snorkelers and all levels of diver

Planchon: 15 meters (50 feet). WWII submarine supply ship, hull side up, mostly intact, richly encrusted with corals and invertebrates, some openings allow peering inside, penetration is prohibited, suitable for all levels of diver

Snapper Shoal: 13-20 meters (45-65 feet), sandy shoal at 13 meters (45 feet), a small wall with a sandy bottom below it, densely encrusted with colorful corals and sponges, lots of macro critters and fish, suitable for all levels of diver

Things to Do in Providencia (aside from scuba diving)

Most of the activities on this small island revolve around enjoying the relaxed lifestyle, food, and the outdoors.  Here is a list of major sights and activities:  relax on a beach, explore the island by golf buggy, visit Crab Caye, hike to El Pico, go snorkeling, kayak in McBean Lagoon National Park, watch the locals race their horses, explore the fort on Santa Catalina Island, seafood,  Peak Forestry Reserve, Morgan’s Head, McBean Lagoon National Natural Park, Mare Lighthouse, Providencia Lover’s Lane, Almond Bay, Southwest Bay, Freshwater Bay, circumnavigate the island by bike, hike to El Pico, eat local food at Niño Divino, Ronaldo’s Bar & Restaurant, Don Olivo, Blue Coral, and Lighthouse Café.

This video provides a glimpse of some of the sights and activities and a feel for the life of a tourist in Providencia.

Providencia Transportation, Hotels, & Diving Services

Transportation

  • Air – A twenty-minute flight is offered twice daily from San Andrés on Satena and Searca, a charter airline.  To get to San Andrés there are daily flights from Medellín, Cali, Bogotá, and Barranquilla, Colombia, San Jose, Costa Rica, and Panama City, Panama.
  • Catamaran – The El Sensation makes round trips from San Andrés to Providencia on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays.  The price is around twice that of the flight.  The sea is often rough and it takes 3 and a half to 6 hours.
  • Taxis and moto-taxis are available.  There is one main road that travels the circumference of the island and a few other small roads.
  • Rentals – Bicycles, motorbikes, and golf buggies are all for rent.  You can cover the entire circumference in 30-40 minutes in a golf buggy.

For more complete details on transportation and other tourist tips, please go to Wikitravel – Providencia

Hotels and Diving

Many lodging options are available in Providencia ranging from $18 to $450 per night.  There are a number of dive shops in operation, some within or associated with hotels, offering a full range of services that include equipment rental, diving certification classes, dive guides, and boat tours.

The website linked below has the details and can arrange a booking for the lodging.  You can easily find the location on the map provided on this site.  Their rates are guaranteed to be the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

Photography in Providencia

With the attractive coral reefs, a variety of fish, macro critters, sharks, rays, wrecks, and scenic shoreside targets, as well, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and give scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on Providencia, Colombia scuba diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

Best Scuba Diving San Andres Colombia

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Coral Reef - San Andrés, Colombia
Coral Reef – San Andrés, Colombia

Updated March 27, 2023

This is the one hundred and twenty-second in a series of reviews of the best scuba diving destinations worldwide.  In this post, the focus is on San Andrés, Colombia. In addition to this series on dive resort locations, the best worldwide liveaboard diving locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you been diving in San Andrés, Colombia before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Scuba Diving San Andres Colombia

Providencia Location Map

Background

San Andrés is the largest of three islands in the San Andrés Archipelago, which make up a department governed by Colombia.  Situated only 200 kilometers (125 miles) east of Nicaragua and 750 kilometers (470 miles) off the coast of Colombia, San Andrés has a population of around 70,000.  It is a flat coral island with an altitude peaking at 55 meters (180 feet) that has an area of 26 square kilometers (10 square miles).  It is most famous as an all-inclusive budget vacation destination for clientele from Colombia.  The official languages are Spanish, English, and San Andrés-Providencia Creole.

Undersea World

Like its neighbor to the north, Providencia, San Andrés is part of the UNESCO Seaflower Biosphere Reserve.

More than 270 species of fish and 85 species of coral live on a diverse undersea terrain of walls, caves, shelves, and shoals around a system of outer cays, reefs, atolls, and sand bars.

While not quite as richly endowed as Providencia with its barrier reef, the more than 30 San Andrés sites have a similar colorful variety of sponges, gorgonians, and hard and soft corals.  Macro photographers will delight in the variety of shrimps, lobsters, octopuses, squid, seahorses, and other critters lurking in the nooks and crannies.  There are big mixed schools of grunts, snappers, and squirrelfish, as well as a nice variety of other reef tropicals including grey angelfish, several species of butterflyfish, parrotfish, wrasses, and trumpetfish.  Larger highlights commonly seen are schools of jacks, barracuda, and other pelagics, southern stingrays, eagle rays, nurse and Caribbean reef sharks, and several species of turtle.  In addition, there are wrecks and special geological features like the Blue Wall.

Providencia, a part of the San Andrés Archipelago mentioned above, has excellent diving and is only a twenty-minute flight away from San Andrés.  Two airlines go there twice daily.  If you make it to San Andrés a side trip would be a nice option to consider,  Here is my review of the diving there:

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is possible all year in San Andrés.

  • Air temperature average daily highs range from 28-30°C (82-86°F) all year.
  • The water temperature is likewise warm year-round in a range of 27-29°C (81-84°F).  A 3mm wetsuit will likely be the most thermal protection needed.
  • The rainy season runs from June through November. Diving isn’t normally interrupted for long.  Hurricanes are also possible at this time.
  • Currents are variable depending on the tides and location.  They are often mild but can be strong on some sites. Surface chop can also be a factor at times.
  • Visibility is usually in the 15-30 meter (50-100 foot) range.

There are sites suitable for all levels of diver.  More than a couple of dozen dive shops operate in San Andrés, some in or associated with hotels, that offer a full range of diving coursework, equipment rental, guiding, and boat cruises.  Some of the operations are using old equipment.  You would be best advised to survey a few before deciding on who to employ.

Caribbean Liveaboards

None of the major liveaboard yachts travel to San Andrés.  However, there are quite a few that cruise relatively nearby Belize and Honduras, and other Caribbean dive sites.

Roatan Aggressor Liveaboard Dive Boat Hunduras

Roatan Aggressor, Roatan, Honduras Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price

Belize Aggressor III Belize Liveaboard Diving

Belize Aggressor III, Belize Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price

Bahamas Master - Bahamas Liveaboard Dive Boat

Bahamas Master, Bahamas Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price

For reviews of diving in eastern Florida and Caribbean locations, please check out these posts:

San Andres, Colombia Dive Sites Map

Selected San Andrés Dive Sites

1) Bajo Bonito: 15 meters (50 feet), gradual drop off to a sandy bottom at 15 meters (50 feet), a lot more hard corals on this site than most with the normal tube sponges and gorgonians, reef tropicals including butterflyfish, lizardfish, and blennies, sharptail eels, suitable for all levels of diver

5) Reggae Nest: 18 meters (60 feet), gradual slope of corals, tube sponges, and gorgonians to a sandy bottom, an arch to swim through, damselfish, Queen angelfish, pufferfish, trunkfish, squirrelfish, moray eels, drums, south to north current is possible, suitable for all levels of diver

10) Barco Hundido: 13 meters (42 feet), mangled and deteriorated wreck rich in marine life, variety of encrusting sponges and corals, cleaner shrimp, moray eels, schools of snappers and grunts, lots of nooks and crannies to explore, suitable for all levels of diver

16) Wild Life: 12-27 meters (40-90 feet), the usual array of sponges, gorgonians, and corals, not too many fish deep, toward the reef top at 12 meters (40 feet) are lionfish, angelfish, and other reef tropicals, suitable for experienced level divers

18) Nirvana: 15 meters (50 feet), full range of corals, sponges, macro life, and reef fish including crustaceans, octopus, pipefish, reef tropicals, reef sharks, stingrays, and turtles, excellent for night dives, suitable for all levels of diver

24) Blue Wall: 7-40+ meters (23-130+ feet), steep wall with large colorful tube sponges, coral, and gorgonians, lots of marine life at every depth, big Caribbean reef sharks, turtles, massive cave at 40 meters (130 feet) called Grouper Palace, actually with durgon rather than groupers, gorgonians, and black coral all around, suitable for experienced level and technical divers

27) Trampa Tortuga: 15-90 meters (50-295 feet), gentle slope on the inner reef to 15 meters (50 feet) with lots of gorgonians, sponges, moray eels, and reef tropicals, the outer reef extends to great depths, big sharks and grouper to be found on the outer reef, suitable for all levels of diver depending on the depth

29) La Piramide: 27 meters (90 feet) maximum depth, one of the best sites for marine life, rich corals and sponges, anemones, nudibranchs, ghost pipefish, gobies, shrimp, crabs, schooling snappers and grunts, eels, stingrays, and sharks,  moderate to strong current possible, suitable for experienced level divers

Things to Do in San Andrés (aside from scuba diving)

Most of the activities on this small island revolve around enjoying the upbeat tourist lifestyle, food and drink, and the outdoors.  Here is a list of major sights and activities:  Johnny Cay National Regional Park, El Acuario and Haynes Cay, Kayak through the Mangroves, Snorkeling, Local Cuisine, Day Trip to Cayo Bolivar, Tour by Bike or Golf Cart, San Luis and Loma Villages, La Piscinita, Island House Museum, La Cueva de Morgan, Jardin Botanico de San Andrés, Fishing Tours, Stroll the Waterfront Promenade, the Beach Scene, Nightlife, Parasailing, El Hoyo Suplidor (blowhole), and Duty-Free Shopping.

This video provides a short look at a few of the sights and activities and a feel for the life of a scuba diving tourist in San Andrés.

San Andrés Transportation, Hotels, & Diving Services

Transportation

  • Air – There are daily flights to Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport in San Andrés from Medellín, Cali, Bogotá, and Barranquilla, Colombia, San Jose, Costa Rica, and Panama City, Panama.
  • Busses are the most common form of transportation connecting the main city of San Andrés with most other destinations around the island.  They are cheap and safe.
  • Taxis are readily available and low-priced.
  • Rentals – Cars, bicycles, motorbikes, and golf buggies are all for rent.

For more complete details on transportation and other tourist tips, please go to Wikitravel – San Andrés

Hotels and Diving

More than 450 lodging options are available in San Andrés ranging from $9 to $457 per night.  There are a couple of dozen dive shops in operation, some within or associated with hotels, offering a full range of services that include equipment rental, diving certification classes, dive guides, and boat tours.

The website linked below has the details and can arrange a booking for the lodging.  You can easily find the location on the map provided on this site.  Their rates are guaranteed to be the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

Photography in San Andrés

With attractive coral reefs, a variety of fish, macro critters, sharks, rays, wrecks, and scenic shoreside targets, as well, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and give scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on San Andrés, Colombia scuba diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

Scuba Diving West Palm Beach Florida

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Dondice Occidentalis - West Palm Beach, Florida
Dondice Occidentalis – West Palm Beach, Florida

Updated August 9, 2022

This is the one hundred and twentieth in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations around the world.  In this post, the focus is on West Palm Beach, Florida. In addition to this series on dive resort locations, the best worldwide liveaboard diving locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you been diving in West Palm Beach before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Scuba Diving West Palm Beach Florida

West Palm Beach Location Map

West Palm Beach is part of the South Florida metropolitan area running from Miami through Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach with a total of around 6 million inhabitants.  It is the county seat with its own population of 100,000 located 68 miles (109 kilometers) north of Miami and just west of the barrier island of Palm Beach.

Undersea World

The sea around West Palm Beach provides an excellent range of diving opportunities.  The 3 parallel reef systems within a mile of shore allow boat and shore access to more than 70 dive sites on shallow and deep reefs, and wrecks.  Deep water close to shore allows the Gulf Stream to bathe the area in clear water rich with nutrients and a nice drift.

There are over 300 species of fish and a big variety of soft and hard corals, sponges, and other encrusting invertebrates, great macro life, schools of fish, and pelagics.

Turtles are sighted on almost every dive with the most common being green, hawksbill, and loggerhead, with the occasional leatherback turtle making an appearance.  The Loggerhead Marinelife Center has a program to protect and promote breeding and sponsors environmental workshops, clean-ups, tours, and rehabilitation.  There is a general atmosphere promoted by the dive shops and sport divers in the area of environmental protectionism.

The Blue Heron Bridge area is world-famous for its muck diving with highlights including mimic octopus, flying gurnards, batfish, frogfish, sea robins, stargazers, and a hundred species of nudibranchs.

Other attractions found on West Palm Beach sites include 4 species of angelfish, huge Goliath groupers and green morays, lionfish, schools of barracuda, nurse sharks, cow nose rays, southern stingrays, lobster, crabs, spadefish, grunts, wrasses, parrotfish, tarpon, lemon sharks, and dolphins.

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is good all year in the West Palm Beach area.

Average daily air temperature highs hit 90°F (32°C) in August and 75°F (24°C) in the coolest month, January.

In the summer, water temperatures are in the range of 84-87°F (29-30.5°C) and in winter 72-75°F (22-25°C).  Some divers will need a 3-5 mm wetsuit when the water is at its coolest.

The Gulf Stream provides south to north current, more evident on the outer reefs and usually not strong, making for comfortable drift diving.

From June to September it rains more and hurricanes are a consideration.

Visibility ranges from 25-150 feet (8-46 meters) with the best from August to October.

There are conditions suitable for all levels of diver.

At least 24 dive shops operate in the immediate West Palm Beach area and many more on either side running along the coast.  A complete range of training, equipment rental, guiding, and boat tours is offered.  There are local operators that do 3-day liveaboards on nearby dive sites.

Liveaboard Diving

None of the major liveaboard yachts travel to West Palm Beach.  However, there are quite a few that cruise the nearby Bahamas and other Caribbean dive sites.

Bahamas Master - Bahamas Liveaboard Dive Boat

Bahamas Master, Bahamas Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price

For reviews of diving in the Bahamas and other Caribbean locations, please check out these posts:

West Palm Beach Map

Selected West Palm Beach Dive Sites

Ziegler’s Zoo: north of the inlet, 85-105 feet (26-32 meters), west side ledge topping at 85 feet (26 meters), rich in macro and larger marine life, not rich north of the site, usually a south to north drift, suitable for experienced level divers

100 Foot Caves: 84-102 feet (26-31 meters), just south of Zeigler’s Zoo, inside ledge topping at 102 feet (31 meters), lots of deep undercutting caverns, small sea fans, schools of porkfish, snapper, and grunts, lots of reef tropicals, and macro life, possible south to north drift, suitable for experienced level divers

Amaryllis: 85 feet (26 meters) maximum depth, 440-foot (134-meter) Liberty ship that ran ashore in a storm in 1965, was cut apart, towed, and sunk to become an artificial reef in 1968, sitting upright in the sand oriented north/south, twisted and broken pieces, no superstructure remains, lots of fish, including angelfish, wrasses, glassy sweepers, and lobster, to the north is a sunken barge and field of concrete debris, suitable for all levels of diver

PC1170 and the Rock Pile: patrol boat scuttled to become an artificial reef in the 1960s, located between the Amaryllis and the Mizpah, not much of the boat left, huge rock pile just north of the wreck with loads of small tropicals, can continue north to the Amaryllis on the south to north drift, suitable for all levels of diver

Mizpah: 65-86 feet (20-26 meters), 185-foot (56-meter) Greek luxury liner scuttled to become an artificial reef in 1968, just south of the PC1170, cleaned up and doors removed before being sunk, lots of big barracuda and Goliath grouper, big green morays, lobsters, jacks, southern stingrays, turtles, suitable for all levels of diver

Blue Heron Bridge: 6-25 feet( 2-8 meters), off Riviera Beach just inside the Lake Worth Inlet, shore access, a famous macro diving site with shopping carts, two small wrecks, 3 hammerhead shark statues, attractions include, lobsters, eels, schools of grunts, cow nose rays, seahorses, octopus, pipefish, stargazers, batfish, and manatees, beware of boat traffic, suitable for all levels of diver

Princess Anne Ferry: 100 feet (30 meters), 350-foot (107-meter) car ferry scuttled to become an artificial reef in 1993, broken apart by storms, lying north/south, lots of fish, continuously deteriorating, too dangerous to penetrate, the current is often strong, suitable for experienced level divers

South Double Ledges: 85 feet (26 meters) maximum depth, double edge reef running north/south, south of the inlet, lots marine life including corals, macro critters, schooling fish, and nurse sharks, south to north drift, suitable for experienced level divers

Breakers Reef: a number of dive sites offshore from the hotel of the same name on Palm Beach, depths of up to 80 feet (24 meters), colorful sponges and sea fans, big barrel sponges, rich marine life including schooling grunts and snapper, angelfish, spadefish, sweepers and silversides, ledges with nurse sharks and morays, gentle south to north drift, suitable for all levels of diver

Things to Do in West Palm Beach (aside from scuba diving)

Part of the opulent Gold Coast urban seaside scene, West Palm Beach still maintains a kind of small-town feel but with a large number of sites and activities for tourists of all levels.  A list to check out includes McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary, Lion Country Safari, Legends of Xscape, iscootpalmbeach (scooters), Panther Ridge Conservation Center, Uptown Art, Palm Beach Zoo, Norton Museum of Art, Flagler Museum, Mounts Botanical Garden, Rapids Water Park, Grassy Waters Nature Preserve, Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, West Palm Beach Green Market, Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Antique Row, South Florida Center and Aquarium, Okeeheelee Park, Peanut Island, Worth Avenue, Grandview Public Market, The Breakers, John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, Northwood Village, Palm Beach Outlets, Manatee Lagoon, Clematis Street, and of course Golf.

This first video provides a glimpse of some of the top sights.  The second is a broader introduction to the area for visitors and those that might want to settle there, as well.

West Palm Beach Transportation, Hotels, & Diving Services

Transportation

  • Air – Palm Beach International Airport (PBA) is served by a number of major and regional carriers and handles general aviation needs.  It is not as busy as the Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports and is 5 minutes from downtown West Palm Beach.
  • Train – Amtrak stops in West Palm Beach.  Tri-Rail connects West Palm Beach with Miami.
  • Car – West Palm Beach is easily accessible from the Florida Turnpike and I-95.
  • Bus – Palm Tran has many routes and stops throughout Palm Beach County.  Greyhound has a bus station next to the Tri-Rail station downtown for long-distance service.
  • Taxis are readily available, metered, and expensive.
  • Rental Cars are available at the airport and online through many major companies.

For more complete details on transportation and other tourist tips, please go to Wikitravel – West Palm Beach

Hotels and Diving

Many lodging options are available in the immediate West Palm Beach area starting at $55 per night.  There are at least 24 major dive shops in operation, some within or associated with hotels, offering a full range of services that include equipment rental, diving certification classes, dive guides, and boat tours.

The website linked below has the details and can arrange a booking for the lodging.  You can easily find the location on the map provided on this site.  Their rates are guaranteed to be the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

Photography in West Palm Beach

With the attractive coral reefs, a variety of fish, macro critters, wrecks, sharks, grouper, and scenic shoreside targets, as well, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and give scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on West Palm Beach scuba diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

Best Scuba Diving on Ibiza Spain

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Don Pedro Wreck - Ibiza, Spain
Don Pedro Wreck – Ibiza, Spain

Updated November 15, 2022

This is the one hundred and forty-first in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations worldwide.  In this post, the focus is on Ibiza, Spain.  In addition to this series on dive resort locations, the best worldwide liveaboard diving locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you been diving in Ibiza before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Scuba Diving on Ibiza

Spain Dive Sites MapBackground

Situated 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Valencia, Spain, Ibiza is the 3rd largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain.

With an area of 571.6 km2 (220.7 square miles) and a population of 144,000, Ibiza is famous for its nightlife, electronic dance music, and the summer club scene.  The party lifestyle theme notwithstanding, cultural and historical influences are still strong.  In order to protect them in part, Ibiza and nearby Formentera Islands have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and protected from many aspects of development and commercialization.

Commonly visiting ex-pats include Germans, British, Latin Americans, French, Italians, and Dutch with their languages commonly used around Ibiza.  The two official languages are Spanish and Eivissenc, a Catalan dialect.

Undersea World

In the seas around Ibiza, the water is clean and clear and there is a variety of seascapes on the 30-40 nearby dive sites.

In the well-lit shallows, the white sand is covered with massive meadows of long Neptune grass that have been in place for many generations.  Moving deeper there is a fantastic array of canyons, caves, swim-throughs, and several interesting wrecks.  The reef includes areas of grasses and other plants and a coral reef of colorful hard and soft corals, and gorgonians.  Nooks and crannies provide habitat for macro critters like nudibranchs, lobsters, shrimps, octopuses, and moray and conger eels. Other highlights are chromis, wrasses, bream, perch, groupers, big schools of amberjacks, and massive shoals of barracuda.

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is possible all year in Ibiza.  The best time to dive is from May to November when the water is warmer.

  • Air temperature average daily highs reach 30°C (86°F) in July and August and dip to 16°C (61°F) in January and February.
  • The range for water temperature is 14-27°C (57-81°F) with highs in August and lows in January and February.  During the summer months, a 3-5mm wetsuit will be enough thermal protection for most.  When the water is at its coolest, a drysuit with a hood and gloves is your best bet.
  • Currents are generally mild.
  • Ibiza has a relatively dry climate with the wettest times from September through December with more than 52 mm (2 inches) of rain per month.
  • Visibility is usually in the 20-30 meter (66-100 foot) range.
  • There are sites suitable for all levels of diver from beginner to advanced levels.  More than 30 dive shops are available that can provide a full range of diving coursework, equipment rental, guiding, and boat cruises.

For information about cold water gear, please check out my review:

Mediterranean Liveaboards

There are no major liveaboard yachts cruising Ibiza but there are to some other Mediterranean sites:

Sadri Usta - Montenegro Liveaboard Adventure CruiseSadri Usta, Montenegro Liveaboard Adventure Cruise – Check the Price

MV Futura - Croatia Liveaboard Adventure Cruise

MV Futura, Croatia Liveaboard Adventure Cruise – Check the Price

Norseman Tuscany Liveaboard Dive Boat

Norseman, Tuscan Archipelago Scuba Diving Liveaboard – Check the Price

Fethiye Diving Expeditions - Turkey Liveaboard Scuba Diving

Fethiye Diving Expeditions, Turkey Scuba Diving Liveaboard – Check the Price

For my reviews of other regional diving destinations, please check out these posts:

Selected Ibiza Dive Sites

La Mariana (the Platform): 11-33 meters (36-108 feet), hexagonal structure of reinforced concrete originally used as a floating fish farm for breeding gilt-head seabream, abandoned and then finally sank in a storm  to become an artificial reef in 1996, rich in marine life including huge schools of unafraid barracuda, amberjacks, groupers, lobsters, moray and conger eels, and scorpionfish, suitable for experienced level divers (check the video at the top)

Don Pedro Wreck: 26-47 meters (85-154 feet), 142-meter (466-foot) cargo vessel sank after smashing into a shoal off of Dado Pequeno, a small islet, no penetration is allowed but there is much to explore like the wheelhouse, propellers, and a bicycle on the bottom in a bed of plants, look for nudibranchs, scorpionfish, schools of small bogues, barracuda, and amberjacks, thermoclines are possible, so plan your thermal protection accordingly, suitable for advanced and technical divers (check the video below)

Dado Pequeño: 35 meters (115 feet), starts shallow on a rocky area with lots of small fish including rainbow wrasses and damselfish, sponges, and yellow anemones, then a wall with marine life like scorpionfish, white and toothed breams, brown meagres, moray eels, groupers, and big schools of salemas, suitable for experienced level divers (check the video below)

The Lighthouse: 24 meters (80 feet) maximum depth, a sunken beacon that starts with a platform at 2 meters (6 feet) that continues down to 12 meters (40 feet), interesting rocky terrain continues to 24 meters (80 feet), lots of marine life including chromis, octopus, lobsters, and moray eels in the nooks, and big barracuda, suitable for all levels of diver

El Arco: 18 meters (60 feet), two stone arches, the first at 14 meters (46 feet), encrusted with sponges, sea squirts, and invertebrates, look for salemas, two banded sea breams, striped mullets, brown meagres, groupers, and octopus, descending there are large boulders and a smaller arch, suitable for all levels of diver

Lladó Sur: 40 meters (130 feet) maximum depth, small islet to the northeast, with a rock platform at 12-15 meters (40-50 feet) on the north side, a slope to 20 meters (66 feet) on the west side, and a slope on the south side extending to 37 meters (121 feet), lots of big rocks around the island providing habitat for macro critters, look for massive shoals of salemas and barracudas, sandy base below the rocks, suitable for experienced level and technical divers

Malvin Norte: 32 meters (105 feet) maximum depth, islet to the west of Ibiza, broad Neptune grass bed on the north side with schools of white breams, salemas, and amberjacks, a rocky area at 10-15 meters (35-50 feet), and a rocky plateau at 32 meters (105 feet) on the south side, look for moray eels, scorpionfish, striped groupers, and octopus in the nooks, the north side is good for beginners and night dives, the rest is suitable for experienced level divers

Es Vedrá – La Bota: 45 meters (147 feet) maximum depth, rocky shoal not reaching the surface to the west of Es Vedrá Island, strong current is possible, marine life includes brittle-stars, starfish, sea hares, moray eels, groupers, scorpionfish, amberjacks, tuna, bream, and barracuda, suitable for experienced level divers

Cuevas de Punta Rasa: 12 meters (40 feet), located on Formentera Island, two caves, the first has an opening at 12 meters (40 feet) and two large air chambers, look for striped cave prawns in the light of your torch, the second cave is a few meters north, also has an air chamber, and is lit by natural light, the rocky area inside provides habitat for a school of brown meagres, suitable for all levels of diver

Things to Do in Ibiza (aside from scuba diving)

Ibiza has long been a tourist destination for its cultural and natural assets and reputation as a place for someone looking for a bohemian, cosmopolitan, or party lifestyle.  There are loads of places to see and things to do including this list:  Dalt Vila UNESCO Site, Lio Dinner Show, Ibiza Cathedral, Rent a Scooter, Playa d’en Bossa, Ride a Banana Boat, San Antonio (sunset), Can Marca Caves, Talamanca, Go Topless on a Beach, Santa Eulalia, El Vedra, Cala Comte, Surf Lounge, Island of Es Vedra, Ibiza Old Town, Spas, Kayaking, Surfing, Hippy Market, Sobrosada (a sausage), Yoga on the Beach, Aquarium Cap Blanc, Paella, Horseback Riding, Cliff Jumping at Cala Tarida, Formentera, Hike up Sa Talaia.

This video gives a brief introduction.

Ibiza Map

Ibiza Transportation, Hotels, & Diving Services

Transportation

  • Air – Ibiza Airport (IBZ) is served by more than 15 airlines on flights from Europe with more during the summer tourist season.   Bus lines are available at the airport for trips to the major settlements on the island.  Regulated taxis are located in the airport taxi rank.
  • Boats are available connecting to Denia, Alicante, Barcelona, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, and Formentera.
  • Buses – Regular routes connect destinations around the island.
  • Taxis – Service is available for trips around the island.
  • Car Rental – Several agencies are in competition so rates are reasonable and you only need to show your license.  Local drivers are reputed to be dangerous.
  • Boats – Boat charters and yacht rentals are a possibility, and there are scheduled boat trips to nearby Formentera.
  • Jet Skis can be hired to zip around and for crossings to Es Vedra Island.
  • Walking is enough to get from place to place within the small cities.

For additional details regarding the above transportation, rentals, scheduling, and other tourist matters, go to Wikitravel-Ibiza.

Hotels and Diving

In Ibiza, there are more than 500 lodging options starting at $23 per night.  Several dozen dive shops are in operation, some located within or associated with hotels.  They offer a full range of services that include equipment rental, diving certification classes, dive guides, and boat tours.

The website linked below has the details and can arrange a booking for the lodging.  You can easily find the location on the map provided on their site.  The rates are guaranteed to be the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

Photography in Ibiza

With the colorful coral reefs, a variety of fish, barracuda, macro critters, wrecks, and intriguing onshore targets, as well, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and give scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on Ibiza scuba diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

Best Scuba Diving in Panama

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Caribbean Reef - Bocas Del Toro, Panama
Caribbean Reef – Bocas Del Toro, Panama

Updated November 14, 2022

This is the ninety-forth in a series of reviews of the best dive scuba diving destinations worldwide.  In this post, the focus is on Panama. In addition to this series on dive resort locations, the best worldwide liveaboard diving locations and services are reviewed in their series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you ever been diving in Panama?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Best Scuba Diving in Panama

Background

With a population of 4,000,000, Panama sits between Costa Rica on the west and Colombia to the south.

The Panama Canal connecting the Caribbean and Pacific is a major part of the diversified serviced-based economy led by commerce, banking, and growing tourism.

Panama City is modern with a landscape of skyscrapers in a country 40% of which is still covered in jungle.  A central spine of mountains dissects the territory which has diverse wildlife with many North American, South American, and endemic species.  Coastal plains extend into rolling hills that contain over 500 rivers.  Of course, a major feature of the landscape is the canal and Gatun Lake, the second-largest man-made lake in North America.

People speak Spanish with a distinctive local accent and there are several indigenous languages in use, as well.  In tourist areas and the city, it is not unusual to hear English, but it is not as commonly spoken as you might expect considering the long association with the US as the builder of the canal and governor of the Canal Zone for so many years.

There is cultural diversity with the majority of mixed-race (European and Native American), sizable minorities of Native Americans and people of African ancestry, and fewer Europeans.  25,000 Americans live in Panama.

Undersea World

Panama is a truly unique place to go diving.  In places, one need only travel 60 kilometers (37.5 miles) to go from the Caribbean to the Pacific affording the opportunity to easily go on a short vacation and dive in both.

The Caribbean side offers great beaches, many with surf, with shallow coral reefs of soft and hard corals and gorgonians, lots of tube sponges, and schools of small fish, dolphins, nurse sharks, and turtles.  There are also big barrel sponges, macro critters like brittle stars, crabs, shrimp, octopus, scorpionfish, and many more.  When talk of the best Caribbean areas to dive comes up, two places are usually mentioned.  The first is Boca del Toro in the northwest and the other is Portobelo National Marine Park off Colon, just across the isthmus from Panama City.

On the Pacific side, we move to Indo-Pacific marine life, more current, and more encounters with bigger creatures and pelagics.  Divers commonly see several species of shark, including whale sharks, manta and eagle rays, dolphins, and humpback whales.  Other highlights are green and hawksbill turtles, schools of snapper, surgeonfish, and barracuda, stingrays, cuttlefish, octopus, pufferfish, triggerfish, a great variety of macro life, and encrusting corals and sponges.  The two areas on the Pacific side that people rave most about are the Archipelago de las Perlas (Pearl Islands Archipelago) in the Gulf of Panama and Coiba National Park around Coiba Island.

Also, between the Caribbean and the Pacific is Gatun Lake, created when the canal was built, which allows seeing interesting freshwater fauna and remnants of what was there before the lake was built.

Seasons and Conditions

You can scuba dive all year in Panama’s tropical climate.

Average air temperatures stay in a narrow range from 25.5-27ºC (78-80ºF).

Water temperatures correspondingly run from 27-29ºC (80-84ºF).  At depth in some areas, it may be a little cooler, but no heavy thermal protection will be necessary.

The dry season is from January to April, which corresponds to the busiest tourist season.  During the rest of the year it rains on most days, but usually, need not interfere with diving for long.

Humpback whales tend to come between July and September.

Visibility ranges from 10 meters (35 feet) to more than 30 meters (100 feet).  Sites away from the coastline tend to have consistently better visibility.

On the Caribbean side, the current is usually mild, whereas on the Pacific side they can be strong at times in some locations.

There are sites suitable for all levels of divers from beginner to advanced and technical levels.  At least 25 dive shops are available in Panama to offer a full range of diving coursework, equipment rental, guiding, and boat cruises.

Liveaboard Diving

There is not currently a liveaboard boat scuba diving on Panama dive sites.  There is one boat running adventure/snorkeling cruises to Costa Rica and Panama including the Panama Canal Zone.

Safari Voyager - Panama Adventure Cruise Liveaboard

Safari Voyager, Costa Rica & Panama Adventure Cruise Liveaboard – Check the Price

To check out Costa Rica liveaboard diving opportunities, please click here:

For my reviews on Cocos Island diving and liveaboards, please click here:

For reviews of diving in eastern Florida and other Caribbean locations, please check out these posts:

Panama Location Map

Selected Panama Dive Sites

Boca del Toro Islands, Caribbean side – There are a large number of dive sites on pristine fringing reefs in this archipelago that has a variety of soft corals, sponges, gorgonians, and great macro critters like nudibranchs, arrow crabs, shrimps, lobster, and cowries.  Reef edges are often frequented by reef and nurse sharks, eagle and manta rays, and big schools of snappers and jacks.

Portobelo National Park, Caribbean side – Located near the Panama Canal, it has white sandy beaches, clear water, lagoons, mangrove swamps, and rich coral reefs.  There is good biodiversity with 50 coral species, green and hawksbill turtles, lots of Caribbean reef tropicals, macro critters, and moray eels.

Coiba National Park, Pacific side – Designated as a national park in 1992, Coiba is a UNESCO World Heritage Site encircled by rich coral reefs and diverse marine life.  There are more than 700 fish species including schools of jacks, amberjacks, barracuda, and snappers, and often sighted megafauna including marlin, whitetip reef and whale sharks, humpback whales, and orcas.

Archipelago de Las Perlas, Pacific side – This Gulf of Panama archipelago has around 90 islands, 130 islets, and cays providing a multitude of dive sites.  Undersea terrain is diverse with intriguing rock formations and coral heads, with a variety of reef tropicals including angelfish, parrotfish, and butterflyfish.  Strong currents and seasonal migrations bring in pelagics and Humpback whales.

Gatun Lake, part of the Panama Canal – When the canal was built, this lake was formed by the damming of the Chagres River.  A lot was left for loss as the water advanced covering towns, construction equipment, machinery, and a train.  To the background sound of the passing ships, these are interesting for divers to explore as they swim with the tarpon, snook, and peacock bass that use the remnants as habitat.

Panama Photos

With the beautiful coral reefs, fascinating marine life including sea turtles, eagle and manta rays, reef and whale sharks, humpback whales, dolphins, macro critters and reef tropicals,  scenic seashore, cultural sites and activities, and city scenes as well, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

Panama Hotels, Transportation, and Dive Shops

Transportation

  • Air – Two international airports serve Panama: Tocumen International Airport 32 kilometers (20 miles) east of Panama City connecting to all countries and Enrique Malek Airport in David connecting to Costa Rica.  Bus, taxi, and car rental are available from the airports.  Also, there are around 40 domestic airports.
  • Bus – International entry is possible by bus from Costa Rica, but not Colombia.  City buses make trips around town and highway buses make trips around the country.  Many lines and routes are available.
  • Boat – Many cruise lines stop in Panama.  Banana boats and private sailboats also offer trips to various South American ports.
  • Car – Cars may enter at the border from Costa Rica, but not Colombia.
  • Taxis often require negotiation and are reasonably priced for short hops.
  • Rental Cars are available at the airport and in many locations.

This, as you can see, is very bare-boned information.  For more details on transportation logistics and further related information, please click here:  Wikitravel – Panama

Lodging and Dive Shops

Panama has hundreds of accommodations around the country starting at $8 a night.  There are also at least 25 dive shops, some associated with lodging, that offer full services including equipment rental, dive courses, guiding, and boat dive cruises.

The website linked below has the details and can arrange the booking.  You can easily find the location on the map provided on this site.  Their rates are guaranteed to be the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

Things to Do in Panama (aside from scuba diving)

There is a lot to see and do in this country for the delight of tourists.  Here are some of them:  bus or walking tours, see a sloth, boa, or crocodile, go birding, visit the Panama Canal, drink local coffee, eat grilled lobster, listen to live jazz, take an air tour, visit native peoples in their villages, hike to Baru Volcano, go ziplining, a Captain Morgan Rum tour, buy Panama sandals and a hat, surf, kayak, or SUP, hike the jungles, white water raft, attend a chocolate-making class, eat at a food truck, to name but a few options.

This video is a nice, brief introduction to what Panama has to offer.

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on Panama scuba diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have diving in Panama.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:   >>comments<<