Dive in Bocas Del Toro

Hospital Point, also popular with snorkelers, is situated at the northern end of Isla Solarte, a 5-minute boat ride away from Bocas’ dive centers. A shallow sandy bay allows for easy in-water safety checks in about 2m of water. The reef starts at three metersand consists mainly of lettuce and…

Coral Garden lies on the westerly side of Isla Solarte, a 10-minute boat ride away from base. This site boasts some of the healthiest corals in the region. Freshwater runoff can severely cut visibility (usually about 10-15m) at times and pelagic life is limited here, but the healthy reef is full of…

“The Wreck” in question is that of an old ferry boat, used to transport cars from the mainland to Isla Colon. It was cleaned and intentionally sunk in 2000 to create an artificial reef for divers. The wreck lies upright in 5-11m of water, above the reef which surrounds Isla Colon’s most…

From Bocas del Toro, an hour-and-a-halfboat ride through the Bastimentos NationalMarine Park takes you to Zapatilla Cay. Panama'sfirst marine park, established in 1988, BastimentosMarine Park conserves marine and coastal ecosystems,including wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs,white-sand beaches and…

This is Bocas’ crown jewel. Accessible only in flat seas, usually in the summer months, and lies much further out from base than the other, more frequently-visited sites. Tiger Rock is the tip of a seamount, around which you’ll circle during your dive. There is something to see at all depths…

Buoy line is also situated at the northern end of Isla Solarte and slightly to the interior side. A deep water channel marker buoy (serving the channel dredged for the passage of container ships carrying bananas) serves as a convenient descent point to begin the dive. Flat sand at seven meters…

This dive sit issituated just off the southeast portion of Isla Bastimentos. Named after the small restaurant onshore, this shallow reef is usually visited as part of the day-long tour offered by the dive centers in the region. Although the corals and sponges are on the small side, they are very…

Discovered by and named for a prominent local divemaster, Manuel’s Wall lies just inside the deep channel off Isla Solarte. Encourage your captain not to anchor in the sensitive corals atop the wall; this means a free descent to 14m. At the bottom is a very flat, young reef with a heavy damselfish…

An underwater labyrinth of rock passages, caverns and swimthroughs. This site gives the feeling of a well-lit cave dive, but direct access to the surface is available throughout 90% of the canyons. Coral growth (and diving) is limited in this area, due to turbid water conditions and large swell for…

Located in the Bastimentos National Marine Park, this twin pair of tiny islands is swept by a nutrient-rich open ocean current. Slightly cooler (but still warm!) water than the rest of Bocas means that the coral growth in the area is spectacular, harbouring sea life to match. The reef starts…

The Log get its name from the bough of an ancient tree, felled by a storm, that used to break the surface at the dive site. The log’s atill around, though it’s now at the mercy of the tides, and lies on the bottom at around nine meters “somewhere” in a sparsely-reefed bay. The dive site site…

Twenty minutes from base, this site lies between Isla Colon and Isla San Cristobal, centred around marker #19 on the deep shipping channel. The sea floor crests towards the surface here, creating a circular reef with schools of snapper, many kinds of crab and other invertebrates living among large…

This site is either named for the now-defunct brothel across the bay, or the fact that the site lies in the lee of Isla Colon, adjacent to the airport runway. The water here is usually the calmest of all dive sites and covers a sloping reef which stretches around the base of the island. Sandy plains…

A circular reef in the bay in front of Bocas town forms the Playground. This site has more soft coral formations than most others in the area and green/hawksbill turtles can often be sighted here between April and June. Playground is VERY close to Bocas town, just a short 3 minute boat ride away.…

This site is situated between Isla Carenero and Isla Bastimentos, and is swept by a strong, nutrient-rich oceanic current, as well as medium to strong surge. Its name is a mispronunciation of the name of one of the ships in Columbus' 1502 fleet - she foundered on the reef here, and promptly sank.…

This site is an isolated spire of rock a few hundred meters off the Northeastern coast of Isla Bastimentos, close to (but not accessible from) Wizard Beach. Large parrotfish and schools of jack live here, and since the Rock is exposed to the open sea, you'll never know what to expect - although the…

Similar to Dolphin Rock, and located at the other end of the bay. The rock formations here are a little more intricate, with the tradeoff being a few less pelagics hanging around. Changing currents and limited visibility make this site somewhat disorienting. There are some rock walls from 12-22m…

Named for a hotel that’s no longer there, this reef is home to thousands of damselfish, mostly in the 5-7m range. Large and varied coral formations slope from 7-18m, then flatten out and gradually turn to sand. Pufferfish, yellow/southern stingrays, and morays are commonly found here, as well as…