Big Scare

Guanacaste, Costa Rica30 m maxadvanced

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Conditions & tides

Satellite view of Big Scare

Big ScareGuanacaste · 30 m

Fair · 4/5

© Esri

conditions visualisation

Fair4/5

Some chop right now — best window today 6 AM–4 PM.

Wind4 kn NNW

Current~0.6 kn NNE · model

Swell

0.8 m · 11s · W

Water

30 °C

Conditions through the day

5 AM5 PM

Calmest current near slack — 06:30 PM & 07:00 AM local

Sunrise 05:32 AM · Sunset 05:38 PM local

Show details

Tide · local

Outlook — select a day for full conditions

On-face swell 0.8 m — the component of the swell aimed at this site’s exposed face. Current is a regional model value (Copernicus, ~9 km grid) — a guide to the area, not a precise reef measurement. Imagery © Esri · not depth or visibility.

Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model

Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.

Dived here today? How were conditions vs. what we showed?

About this site

Big Scare is a dive site off the Guanacaste coast of northwestern Costa Rica, in the waters of the Papagayo Gulf area on the Pacific side of the country, over a rocky bottom reaching a maximum depth of around 30 metres. It's rated an advanced dive due to strong currents, and visibility is generally great. Bull sharks are a regular sighting here, along with eagle rays, manta rays, grouper, and jacks or amberjack. Divers have also reported nurse sharks, whale sharks, mobula rays, barracuda, angelfish, snapper, and octopus, and some have noted a thermocline on the site.

AI overview

Marine life here

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

Mobula (devil ray)Mobula (devil ray)Reported here · unconfirmed
Whale sharkWhale sharkReported here · unconfirmed
Bull sharkBull sharkConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
Nurse SharkGinglymostoma cirratumReported here · unconfirmed
Whale SharkRhincodon typusReported here · unconfirmed
SnapperSnapperReported here · unconfirmed
Jack / amberjackJack / amberjackConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
King AngelfishHolacanthus passerReported here · unconfirmed
Hourglass MorayMuraena clepsydraReported here · unconfirmed
Spotted Sharpnose PufferCanthigaster punctatissimaReported here · unconfirmed
Spinster WrasseHalichoeres nicholsiReported here · unconfirmed
Longnose HawkfishOxycirrhites typusReported here · unconfirmed
Jewel MorayMuraena lentiginosaReported here · unconfirmed
Bull SharkCarcharhinus leucasConfirmed present · 6 independent sources
Nurse sharkNurse sharkReported here · unconfirmed
OctopusOctopusReported here · unconfirmed
Eagle rayEagle rayConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
GrouperGrouperConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
Manta rayManta rayConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
AngelfishAngelfishReported here · unconfirmed
BarracudaBarracudaReported here · unconfirmed

Diver notes

Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.

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Nearby dive sites

Punta EsteGuanacaste, Costa Rica0.6 km Gran SustoGuanacaste, Costa Rica2.3 km Bajo NegroGuanacaste, Costa Rica10 km Bat IslandsCosta Rica10.9 km Gulf of PapagayoCosta Rica28.3 km La FlorNicaragua37.4 km

Shops that dive here

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