Conditions & tides
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.
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About this site
Tortuga is a reef dive site off the Guanacaste coast of northern Costa Rica, in the Pacific-facing bays near the Papagayo peninsula, usually reached by boat from towns along the Gulf of Papagayo. It reaches a maximum depth of around 21.3 metres and is rated a beginner dive. Octopus are a common find on the reef, and divers have also reported angelfish, eagle rays, harlequin shrimp, manta rays, nudibranchs, pufferfish, reef sharks, seahorses, and even whales passing through.
AI overviewMarine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
Reef sharkReef sharkReported here · unconfirmed
Harlequin shrimpHarlequin shrimpReported here · unconfirmed
Acapulco MajorStegastes acapulcoensisReported here · unconfirmed
Pacific Mottled Shore CrabPachygrapsus sociusReported here · unconfirmed
Panamic Sergeant MajorAbudefduf troscheliiReported here · unconfirmed
Cortez Rainbow WrasseThalassoma lucasanumReported here · unconfirmed
Longspined PorcupinefishDiodon holocanthusReported here · unconfirmed
Sally Lightfoot CrabGrapsus grapsusReported here · unconfirmed
Jewel MorayMuraena lentiginosaReported here · unconfirmed
PufferfishPufferfishReported here · unconfirmed
Eagle rayEagle rayReported here · unconfirmed
Manta rayManta rayReported here · unconfirmed
WhaleWhaleReported here · unconfirmed
Harlequin ShrimpHymenocera pictaReported here · unconfirmed
AngelfishAngelfishReported here · unconfirmed
OctopusOctopusConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
NudibranchNudibranchReported here · unconfirmed
SeahorseSeahorseReported here · unconfirmed
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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