Osa Peninsula dive sites

Cano Island is reached by boat from Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula, a journey of approximately 40 to 50 minutes. Drake Bay itself is accessible by small aircraft from San Jose via Nature Air or Sansa, by boat from Sierpe, or by four-wheel-drive vehicle during the dry season. Several dive operators in Drake Bay run daily trips to Cano Island when weather permits, typically offering two-tank morning trips. The island is a Biological Reserve and no one lives there, so all trips are day visits with a park ranger on the island during operating hours.

Cano Island is famous for its whitetip reef shark aggregations, where dozens of whitetips pile on top of each other on sandy patches between the rocks during daytime resting periods. It is common to see 15 to 30 sharks in a single heap, an extraordinary sight that reflects the genuinely protected status of the reserve. The sharks are completely habituated to divers and will not move unless approached too closely. These aggregations occur year-round but are most reliably seen at sites like Bajo del Diablo and Coral Garden. It is one of the most accessible and reliable shark encounters in the Eastern Pacific.

Whale sharks are most frequently reported at Cano Island from August through October, when nutrient-rich water and plankton concentrations attract them to the area. Sightings are not guaranteed but occur regularly enough during these months to justify a visit. Scalloped hammerheads are seen year-round but are most common during the cooler water months from December to April when visibility tends to improve. Humpback whales pass through from July to October during their southern hemisphere migration, and while they are not a dive attraction, their songs are often audible underwater during safety stops.