La Tortuga - Caribbean Coast
Ngatangiia School might sound like an odd name for a dive site, but it’s one of our favourite spots on Rarotonga's south side, especially if you’re looking for a relaxed wall dive that still delivers on the fish front. We’re talking a gentle slope that drops from around 15 metres down to 20, making it very approachable for anyone comfortable with a bit of depth. The reef here, while showing some past cyclone scars, has bounced back nicely, draped in corals that sway with the gentle surge. What we really love here are the smaller details. Keep your eyes peeled for the resident Spotted Hawkfish perched on coral heads, and we always spot a few Coral Blennies darting amongst the crevices. The schools of Blackstriped Cardinalfish can be quite dense, sometimes seeming to shimmer as they move. We’ve had some cracking encounters with Achilles Tangs here too, their vibrant orange spots a flash against the blue. While the deeper swim-through is beyond our 20m limit here, the shallower sections are packed with enough to hold your attention. We find this site is best in the morning before any afternoon chop picks up, with visibility often stretching to a generous 30 metres, giving you that classic Raro wide-angle view.
- Location
- Caribbean Coast, Costa Rica, Central America
- Coordinates
- 10.577800, -85.711100
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Santa Rosa
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 La Tortuga
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 La Tortuga
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