Brumel shallow - Caribbean Coast
El Venado might not be the poster child for Peruvian diving, but we’re big fans of its quirky charm. This spot, just a quick boat ride past Chuncho, offers a real Jekyll and Hyde experience. You’ve got a rocky bottom where moray eels peek from every crevice. We’ve spent solid minutes just watching their heads sway, waiting for a little bumper or cornetfish to swim by. Then, it transitions to a sandy expanse, and that’s where things get interesting. We’ve found Pacific speckled crabs scuttling across the sand, perfectly camouflaged, and the odd barred pipefish trying to blend in with seagrass. The wall itself is pretty neat, dropping from around 8 metres down to a maximum of 19, perfect for a relaxed extended bottom time. Visibility here averages 6 metres. It's not always gin-clear, but we think that adds to the atmosphere, making those moray encounters feel even more intimate. This is a site for the patient observer, someone who enjoys slow diving and hunting for the smaller, often overlooked creatures.
- Location
- Caribbean Coast, Costa Rica, Central America
- Coordinates
- 10.507900, -85.822100
- Difficulty
- beginner
Marine Protected Area: Marino las Baulas de Guanacaste
Best Time to Dive in Caribbean Coast
The warmest water temperatures in Caribbean Coast occur in March, averaging 29.8°C. The coolest conditions are in November at 27.6°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.9°C
- February: 29.6°C
- March: 29.8°C
- April: 29.6°C
- May: 29.1°C
- June: 28.4°C
- July: 28.6°C
- August: 28.5°C
- September: 28.5°C
- October: 28.1°C
- November: 27.6°C
- December: 28.4°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Caribbean Coast
- Arco Iris, Brumel Island (reef)
- Arco Iris, Brumel Island (cave)
- Arrecife Conway (reef)
- Bajo Del Diablo
- Bajo del Diablo Deep
- Bajos Castañones (reef)
- Barco Hundido (wreck)
- Bloody Reef (reef)
- Bocas Dive Center
- Bocas Diving Pirates
- Brumel deep (reef)
- Brumel deep
- Brumel shallow (reef)
- Cabeza de Mono
- Cadena (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Brumel shallow
Marine Life in Caribbean Coast
Home to 218 recorded species including 198 reef fish, 11 hard corals, 5 whales & dolphins, 3 other, 1 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- Sleeper (Gobiomorus maculatus) - Reef Fish
- Lesser Starlet Coral (Siderastrea radians) - Hard Corals
- Barred Livebearer (Poeciliopsis turrubarensis) - Reef Fish
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Lettuce Coral (Agaricia agaricites) - Hard Corals
- Spotted Sleeper (Eleotris picta) - Reef Fish
- Lamarck's sheet coral (Agaricia lamarcki) - Hard Corals
- Pointed Pencil Coral (Madracis asperula) - Hard Corals
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Bridled Dolphin (Stenella attenuata) - Whales & Dolphins
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Giant goby (Gobiomorus dormitor) - Reef Fish
- Mulet (Mugil curema) - Reef Fish
- Scroll Coral (Agaricia undata) - Hard Corals
- Yellowtail Parrotfish (Sparisoma rubripinne) - Reef Fish
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) - Hard Corals
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Graham's sheet coral (Agaricia grahamae) - Hard Corals
- Sleeper (Eleotris amblyopsis) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Brumel shallow
Based on average water temperature of 28.8°C, currents 3 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories