Malpais, Costa Rica
In Malpais, on the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, pelagic fish are often close to the shore. The Nicoya Peninsula juts far into the ocean and the sea bottom drops within a few nautical miles to over 1000 m depth.
The east central Pacific in front of Costa Rica belongs to one of the world's most biologically diverse marine ecosystems.
The tropical climate and the convergence
of major marine currents support a high level of nutrients affecting the
migration and distribution of many species.
Only few reefs and corals are present, but maritime life is far more rich than anywhere in the Caribbean. The colder waters on the west coast nurture immense plankton blooms that feed large schools of fish, soft corals and mollusks.
Many rock and reef formations have their own eco-system with an intensive fish life. It ranges from tiny blennies which inhabit small holes and cracks to majestic angelfish, moray eels, cleaner wrasses, surgeon- and angelfish, colorful puffer and parrot fish up to the reef sharks at the end of the food chain.
In the waters off Malpais you encounter white tip reef sharks, blacktop reef sharks and nurse sharks, as well as
manta- and eagle rays, schools of tunas, jacks, barracudas and dolphins. From Dec - Oct you can watch humpback and pilot whales
migrating both from the Antarctic and the northern Pacific past the Malpais bay.
Costa Rica also hosts some of the world's most important breeding sites for olive ridley sea turtles, green sea turtles and the endangered huge leatherback sea turtles.
The underwater world at Malpais, just beside the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve is still
uncontaminated and provides all kind of surprises for divers.
Those without diving equipment find great snorkeling spots and tide pools within easy reach of Malpais and Santa Teresa.
In dry season (Dec to May) the visibility can be 60 - 100 feet. During heavy rains plankton and river sediments pour into the ocean and reduce visibility.
Unfortunately in 2005 Pacific Divers closed their Scuba Dive Center in Malpais. The only dive center on the Southern Nicoya Peninsula is now Island Tour Adventure in Curu, near Tambor, who offer diving tours at the Tortuga Islands