Escorpiones - Caribbean Coast
Kariparapa Point is one of our favourites in the Bay of Islands, especially when the conditions line up. You drop onto a long, rocky finger that starts around 12 metres and just keeps going, gently sloping down to 25 metres before dropping off into deeper blue. We’ve had some truly magic moments here, particularly when the sunlight shafts through the water and illuminates the walls of the swim-through at the deeper end. It’s not a huge tunnel, but it’s a fun little squeeze. Further in, closer to the shore, the landscape shifts to massive boulders, creating all sorts of nooks and crannies. We often find crayfish tucked away here and some seriously big black urchins. Keep an eye out for the smaller stuff too; we’ve spotted plenty of Blue-eyed Triplefins and the occasional Clown Toado darting around. If you’re lucky, you might even see a Blue Penguin or a Sooty Shearwater pass by overhead. We’d suggest this spot for divers who appreciate interesting topography and don’t mind a bit of a hunt for the smaller, unique critters. Max depth here is 30 metres, so it suits those comfortable with a bit of depth. Average visibility sits around 13 metres, which is decent enough to really enjoy the features.
- Location
- Caribbean Coast, Costa Rica, Central America
- Coordinates
- 10.542800, -85.769700
- Type
- cave
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
Nearest Dive Centres to Escorpiones
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 Escorpiones
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