The Bat Islands lie off the coast of Santa Rosa National Park in the Pacific Ocean and are known as the only place in Costa Rica to dive reliably with bull sharks. All five sites in our database are boat-accessed and cover a wide range of topography including pinnacles, walls, drift sites, reef, and an artificial reef. Depths run from very shallow shore snorkelling at one metre to advanced wall dives at thirty-five metres. Thermoclines are common and currents can be strong, making several sites suitable for advanced divers only, though shallower sites accommodate beginners. The season runs from May to November. Resident species include whale sharks, silvertip and whitetip reef sharks, marble rays, Pacific cownose rays, green and Ridley turtles, and green and jewel morays.
Monthly water temperature across Bat Islands's sites, from satellite sea-surface data corrected for depth. The band shows the site-to-site spread.
Water temperatures are cooler here than on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast, sitting in the low-to-mid twenties for much of the year and rising towards the upper twenties during the main diving season of May to November. Thermoclines are common and can produce sudden temperature drops within a single dive. The season coincides with the Pacific rainy season, so surface conditions vary.
1 operator
Water temperature around Bat Islands ranges from about 23°C in February to 26°C in May, based on satellite sea-temperature data for its dive sites.
With water around 23–26°C, a 3mm full suit works in Bat Islands year-round.
Fin maps 5 sites in Bat Islands (4 scuba diving sites and 1 snorkelling spots).
Across Bat Islands's dive sites, June, July, August, September and October are most often reported as the best months to visit.
3 more sites to explore
