encounters
equipment
Scuba Diving
The Gulf of Papagayo offers some of the Pacific Ocean’s most interesting marine diversity. The plankton-rich waters support numerous species from big to small.
Choose a dedicated dive trip to maximize your bottom time, or extend your surface internal by combining your dives with all of our other activities.
The Gulf of Papagayo
On any given day you may see frogfish, harlequin clown shrimp, seahorses, and octopus, or you might have a lucky encounter with schooling eagle rays, white tip reef sharks, giant Pacific manta rays, or a passing whaleshark.
Our passionate & knowledgeable dive masters can put you in the perfect place to study animal behaviour and to be right in the middle of the action.
We have three destinations within the gulf:
Local / Catalina Islands / Bat Islands
Local Divers
We have over 10 dive sites within a 20 minute boat trip, and these are accessible all-year-round and for all levels.
These plankton-rich waters support numerous species from big to small, and our certified dive masters know where the good wildlife is.
The Catalina Islands
These islands are a seasonal home to the majestic Giant Pacific Manta Rays who come to visit it’s many cleaning stations. From January through April you have a chance to see these incredible creatures as they glide and dance through the water above you.
Catalina’s is located about 45-minutes away by boat, and does not have an anchorage or beach access. Intermediate divers.
The Bat Islands
Part of Santa Rosa National Park and known UNESCO world-heritage site, the Bat Islands are a wild place indeed. Home to over a dozen large bull sharks, and numerous schools of large fish, it is a place where you might see anything and everything.
Because it is so far from the mainland, pelagic fish often cruise by, and it’s not unusual to see sailfish, manta rays, whalesharks, and more. This is a site for experienced divers only, one-hour away by boat, and seasonally available from May through November. This is a full day trip and a gourmet sandwich lunch is included.
Seasons, Courses and more
Seasons…
The north pacific coast of Costa Rica has two distinct seasons: wet and dry. The dry season, from December through April, is most noted for it’s northerly winds that drop the water temperature down into the low to mid-70’s. This cooler water is host to humpback whales, whalesharks, giant pacific manta rays, and hordes of roving southern stingrays.
The wet season, from June through November, is the time to enjoy warmer water reaching into the mid-80’s, and a bit of an increase in the average 35-foot visibility. It is this time of year when you might see the massive schools of golden rays, and when encounters with sharks become an exciting reality.
Courses…
Our PADI trained instructors offer all level courses from Discover Scuba Diving through Divemaster. We come to your house or hotel to give the training in your pool and stay with you through the completion of your course.
Specialty courses are available. Scuba Diving experiences can also be combined with any other outings.
Photographers Welcome…
Almaco is excited to offer it’s services to photographers and videographers. Small group sizes enable us to focus on exactly what you want to see and shoot, and our wide range of experience in both photography and video helps us take you to the right place at the right time.
HELLO, HOW CAN WE HELP?
For pricing and availability inquiries, please fill out this quick form or
email us directly at [email protected].
All trips are custom prepared and priced based on your preferences
so we want to work with you directly on your plans
to ensure an unforgettable trip.
Thanks so much for your interest!
Mike Randal2023-08-10Great day diving My son and I had a great time diving with Almaco. From the moment we stepped on the boat, Captain Hugo and Divemaster Esteban took great care of us. After a discussion about what we were looking for in our dives, it was a short trip to the dive sites. Highlights of the day included watching a ray have its breakfast and hanging out with a group of curious reef sharks. We also saw many rays, turtles and some enormous eels. If you're looking to dive in Costa Rica, I recommend you go with AlmacoCLT Traveler2023-04-14Great Mix Of Activities and Cruising We had a great time on the water. Fantastic crew and a great balance of active fun and relaxing cruising. We left from the Four Seasons Costa Rica and stayed within 10 miles of there but had plenty of variety for our 4 hour excursion.Katie C2023-04-03Enjoyed Fresh Sashimi Sushi on the boat with the fish we caught and More! Bari Lehrman and her husband own a wonderful business. The captain and guide arrived early to pick us up at the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo. My daughter and I scheduled a 1/2 tour, left at 8:00 home by 12:30. The first thing they did is share all the different activities that were available to us that day. We then chose a few and went from there. The snorkeling was awesome, equipment very clean and tour from the guide was great. The fishing was also wonderful - we caught some fish. One of the Black Tuna's we caught they fileted on the boat and we all shared the Sashimi sushi - OMG sooo delicious. The guide was very good at sharing basic facts about the water, animals, and land. The snacks and drinks were delicious and ay more than we could ever eat! Our experience was great, very professional.Mike E2023-03-12Amazing, Amazing, Amazing -Dive, Fish, Dive, Grilling, and Chillen We hired the boat for the day. Owen, Pepe, and Hugo were just awesome. We are novice divers and they took us to the most amazing places. So friendly and accommodating for any skill level. This is a must do with your family. The food grilled on the beach was over the top. I will be back!!Shaul F2023-02-19יום כיף של שייט על סירה של 32 פייט עם חברת אלמקו ביקרנו ב-Guanacaste קוסטה ריקה למספר ימים בספטמבר 2023. חוויה נהדרת. יצא לנו לצאת לשייט סביב החוף של Papagayo Peninsula. השייט עם חברת אלמקו היה מקסים - לקחו אותנו לראות לוויתני Humpback whales, צבי ים מזדווגים, דייג, ושנורקל. יום כיפי מאין כמוהו. חברה נחמדים מסבירי פנים שרות מעולה מהמלון. מומלץ בחום. לא יצא לנו לצלול אבל גם זה מומלץ בחום. יש באזור מספר לא קטן של אתרים עם בעלי חיים גדולים. צריך לקחת בחשבון - לצוללים - טמפ' המים 20-22 מעלות בפברואר. הראות בנונית בכל ימות השנה...EAA2023-02-02A MUST-DO Water Experience Esteban and Wilbur were fantastic guides. They were patient and knowledgeable. We got to do so many things on our full day trip. I wasn’t sure I should spend so much money on this but it was worth every penny. Our group had a blast and it was definitely an unforgettable day filled with snorkeling, wakeboarding, paddle boarding, swimming, finding dolphins, and watching a spectacular sunset. The icing on the cake were the delicious fresh snacks & beverages onboard and the PERFECT fresh and yummy beach lunch. I cannot recommend this company more highly.Chaz L2023-01-115 Star Scuba Experience We used Almaco for a morning of scuba diving and had a total blast! Our dive master Pepe and captain Hugo ensured that we had a great experience from start to finish. Pepe took special care in preparing everyone’s equipment and making sure we were all comfortable before each dive. Our group got to see a ton of sea life including reef sharks, rays, eels, and many schools of fish. Can’t recommend Almaco enough and will definitely use them again if we return to the area!Jarod B2023-01-08Great experience - very professional We used Almaco for Advanced Open Water training while staying on the Papagayo Peninsula. We were greeted by Esteban and Hugo, who were amazing instructors. They were patient, knew their stuff, provided great instruction, and got us in front of some amazing creatures. My son is 12, so the extra care was much appreciated. They take their training seriously (no GoPro...just listen), and provide top notch equipment (ScubaPro wetsuits, new BCD's, etc.). They were always on time, had refreshments, a boat full of toys (skis, wakeboards, fishing poles, etc.). Great company, great, hardworking employees...very professional.Matt2022-12-31The prefect diving trip We went on a half day private diving and snorkeling trip and had a blast. Pepe the dive instructor was very knowledgeable, calm and super friendly. Hugo the captain very experienced and skilled. This created a great, relaxed atmosphere and made it a very enjoyable trip. On top, Pepe picked the perfect dive spots which resulted in sightings of multiple sharks, different rays, a turtle and a huge diversity of fish. As the icing, we saw two humpback whales traveling south. Thanks for a great experience!Rob W2022-12-08Perfect day on the boat Incredible experience with a very knowledgeable and friendly guide (Pepe) and amazing captain and fisherman (Mitchy). Managed to explore caves, catch three black fin tuna, go sub-winging and try wake boarding, all on a single 4 hour boat trip. Majestic views of the coastline along with fresh fruit, snacks and cold drinks. Highly recommended!
