Bocas Del Toro, Panama

[Shae]

If anyone has the chance, I recently did some diving off the coast of Solarte and Bocas Del Toro in Panama. There are some beautiful reefs to check out, and the culture of the community is is great. If the opportunity presents itself, do yourself a favor and head down.

 

[nyctitans]

If anyone has the chance, I recently did some diving off the coast of Solarte and Bocas Del Toro in Panama. There are some beautiful reefs to check out, and the culture of the community is is great. If the opportunity presents itself, do yourself a favor and head down.

Did you get a chance to dive on the Pacific side? I've heard great things abut Coiba...

 

[Shae]

Did you get a chance to dive on the Pacific side? I've heard great things abut Coiba...

Sadly, no. All of the diving I did was in the Caribbean--mostly between the islands of Bocas and Solarte.

 

[WyCal]

How 'bout a trip report. I've been to Panama a few times for business, but unfortunately have never had a chance to check out the diving. I may be going again soon for about 3 or 4 months and would love to hear from you about the diving, the operator you used, etc.
Thanks,
Georgia

 

[Shae]

How 'bout a trip report. I've been to Panama a few times for business, but unfortunately have never had a chance to check out the diving. I may be going again soon for about 3 or 4 months and would love to hear from you about the diving, the operator you used, etc.
Thanks,
Georgia

Well, Bocas is way up by Costa Rica, on the Caribbean side, and is beautiful . I got my tanks filled at Bocas Water Sports ( www.bocaswatersports.com ), though my DM was the executive director of an Outward Bound program in Costa Rica. The dive shop is very easy to find--it is right on the main road. The staff at Bocas Water Sports is very accomodating, and I'm sure you will have a great time with them. If you check out the website, they have detailed descriptions of their dive sites. My favorite, by far, was Hospital Point. This is where I did my certification dive, and the reef was shallow enough (mostly between 20-40 ft) that my air seemed to last forever. It's right off the island of Solarte which is gorgeous, and a much more rural place than Bocas. Some other great dive spots are 'the playground' and 'grandma's garden' but they are not on BWS' site. They are other places where coral and fish are abundant as well as a few species of sharks. The wreck dive is cool, but there are only so many times that you can go around the wreck before the scene gets tired and you get cold. There are a lot of interesting fish however, and the occasional lobster. If you are interested in snorkeling, there is a great little floating bar/restaurant (the name is escaping me) that I believe is on the way to Zapatillas Cays that has an unbelievably diverse array of fish that are right off the dock. All in all, I highly recommend the place--I will surely go back someday. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to drop me a line. I hope this helps!

-Shae