All activities / Scuba Diving / Santa Catalina
Scuba Diving in Santa Catalina
A small fishing and surf village on Panama's Pacific coast in Veraguas, at the end of a long road from the highway. It is the mainland launch point for Coiba National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage marine park, and holds one of the country's best-known surf breaks, so it draws divers and surfers in roughly equal number.
Why here
Santa Catalina is the jumping-off point for Coiba, the marine national park that is Panama's answer to the Galapagos. Coiba National Park protects 38 islands and the largest coral reef in the tropical eastern Pacific, and it sits on the migratory corridor that links the Galapagos, Cocos and Malpelo, so the diving is about big animals in blue water rather than reef macro. Whitetip and blacktip reef sharks patrol the cleaning stations, huge schools of jacks and snapper ball up in the current, and from around December into April whale sharks and hammerheads move through. The signature site, Granito de Oro, is a tiny islet with a reef that suits newer divers, while sites like Wahoo and Bajo Solitario off the outer islands are current-swept and better for the experienced. The park was a penal colony until 2004, which is why its reefs were never fished out, and the 60 to 90 minute boat ride from Santa Catalina keeps daily numbers low. This is the best diving in Panama and one of the best in Central America.
Best months
Coiba is diveable year round from Santa Catalina. The dry season from December to April brings the calmest seas, the easiest crossings and the best odds on whale sharks and hammerheads, while the green season can bring stronger currents and bigger schooling fish. Water is warm, generally 26 to 29 degrees, though thermoclines on the deeper outer sites can drop it sharply. Visibility ranges widely with plankton and current, from around 10 metres to more than 20. The outer sites are current-swept and advanced; Granito de Oro and the inshore reefs suit newer divers.
Getting there & around
Santa Catalina is about a seven to eight hour drive or shuttle from Panama City, or a flight to David plus a road transfer, then a rough final road into the village. Dive centres sit in the village and run daily pangas to the park, which is a 60 to 90 minute crossing each way, so most diving is full-day with a surface interval on an island beach. The park charges a daily entry fee and access is regulated, so book through a licensed operator. Bring certification; the outer sites want proof of advanced or current experience. Accommodation is simple, from hostels to small lodges.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (2)
Panama Dive Center
OutfitterPanama Dive Center in Santa Catalina is the first 5-Star PADI Dive Resort on this coast, run by owner Sabina Schreck. It runs daily boat trips into Coiba National Park for certified divers and teaches the full PADI ladder from first-timer to professional. Rated the number-one thing to do in Santa Catalina on TripAdvisor, it dives with ScubaPro, Shearwater and Fourth Element equipment and provides tanks, guiding and lunch on the day-long crossings to the park.
Scuba Coiba
OutfitterScuba Coiba was founded in Santa Catalina in 2003 by Austrian instructor Herbie Sunk and was the pioneer dive centre working Coiba National Park. Its four instructors are all PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainers, and it runs daily two-tank trips plus multi-day expeditions basing on Isla Simca or at Pixvae. Coiba holds the largest coral reef in the tropical eastern Pacific, so its dives regularly turn up whitetip sharks, schooling jacks and, in season, whale sharks.