| Costa Rica is an eco-tourism paradise
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| | Even some of the reef fish here are
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| with rain forests, exotic wildlife,
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| | larger. For example, the trumpet fish we
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| volcanoes and much more. This little
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| | saw down here are significantly larger
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| Central American country is also an
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| | than the ones found in Caribbean waters.
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| interesting place to scuba dive. Most of
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| | Also, there are much more porcupine
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| the diving in Costa Rica is done on the
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| | puffer fish here. Previously in Caribbean
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| west coast Pacific Ocean side with an
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| | waters, I've seen only a few porcupine
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| area up in the Guanacaste region located
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| | fish and they are usually alone. Here in
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| in the northwestern part of the country
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| | Costa Rica, I saw large schools of them.
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| and another south of the capital city of
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| | We encountered large schools of other
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| San Jose near the middle of its west
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| | fish types on a regular basis as well.
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| coast. If flying into San Jose, one would
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| | The local divemasters here definitely
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| have to do some internal traveling to get
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| | work in a different way compared to their
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| to either of these two locations.
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| | counterparts elsewhere. In many Caribbean
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| The Guanacaste area is a bit easier to
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| | locations, the divemasters would promote
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| get to especially if one could arrange a
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| | a 'look only, no touch' rule. Here, the
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| flight right to the town of Liberia in
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| | divemasters actively turned over every
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| northern Costa Rica. There are some
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| | rock to find interesting creatures for
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| seasonal charter flights from North
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| | us. They would catch them in their hands
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| America directly to Liberia. The town of
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| | and pass them over to the other divers.
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| Playas del Coco which is used as the main
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| | Over three days of diving, I held a
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| base for divers is a short cab ride from
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| | seahorse, an octopus, a spotted eel, an
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| the Liberia airport. There are
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| | orange color frogfish and a puffed up
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| restaurants and small hotels in Playa del
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| | porcupine fish. Of course this practice
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| Coco including a few American owned scuba
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| | of handling marine wildlife is debatable
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| dive operators. These dive operators
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| | in terms of ethics but it was certainly
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| usually have special package deals
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| | an interesting experience holding these
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| available which include both diving and
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| | creatures in my hands. The divemasters
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| accommodations with one of the local
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| | were certainly hard working for sure
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| hotels. Everything in town is within easy
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| | though as they were eager to make sure
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| walking distance.
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| | that the guests had good dive trips.
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| I made a trip for scuba diving here
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| | Large animals such as giant sea turtles,
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| during the late fall season. The operator
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| | stingrays and white tip sharks were also
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| I used was Rich Coast Diving. The local
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| | spotted. On one occasion which I will
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| Costa Rican divemasters from Rich Coast
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| | never forget for the rest of my life is
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| they took all of the scuba equipment
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| | when a very large school of cow-nose rays
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| including tanks down to the beach every
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| | headed straight for our group of divers.
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| morning by pickup truck.
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| | They looked like a huge squadron of alien
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| The dives ranged from about 60 feet to 85
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| | spaceships. They went right through and
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| feet with mild to moderate currents. One
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| | past us while we watched in wonder. Then
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| thing that all divers will notice here is
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| | they disappeared. This memorable
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| that the diving in Costa Rica is very
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| | experience was much too short lived.
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| different from the usual Caribbean reef
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| | So for a very different type of scuba
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| diving. The visibility is a lot poorer
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| | diving compared to the Caribbean without
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| and there are some noticeably colder
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| | traveling too much further, Costa Rica is
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| thermoclines. The poor visibility is due
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| | an interesting destination for divers to
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| to higher amounts of plankton in the
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| | consider. There won't be crystal clear
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| local waters compared to the Caribbean
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| | visibility but the marine life will be
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| Sea. In some dive sites, we had to swim
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| | different with more large animals to see.
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| through sections of water which turned
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| | The diving itself is also very reasonable
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| into an almost brown color soup. This cut
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| | in cost being significantly lower than in
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| the sunlight from the top drastically.
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| | premium priced locations such as the
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| However, there is a huge plus side to
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| | Cayman Islands and the Bahamas. In
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| this poorer visibility. The plankton
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| | addition, there are many other things to
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| attracts larger marine animals and if
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| | see and activities to do on land besides
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| divers came here to see the big ones,
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| | the scuba diving which makes Costa Rica a
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| they will not be disappointed.
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| | very full vacation.
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