Cayo French Man - Corn Islands
Cayo French Man, just a short boat ride from Big Corn, offers a pleasant drift over a healthy coral reef. We typically see nurse sharks tucked under ledges and plenty of schooling snapper out in the open. It's a relaxed dive, good for getting comfortable with a bit of current, and the shallower sections are great for photography when the light is right. Keep an eye out for eagle rays gliding past in the blue, especially in the mornings.
- Location
- Corn Islands, Nicaragua, Central America
- Coordinates
- 11.737500, -83.611946
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Sistema de Humedales de la Bahía de Bluefields
Best Time to Dive in Corn Islands
The warmest water temperatures in Corn Islands occur in January, averaging 28.3°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 28.3°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.3°C (air: 26.7°C)
- February: 28.3°C (air: 26.4°C)
- March: 28.3°C (air: 26.7°C)
- April: 28.3°C (air: 27.3°C)
- May: 28.3°C (air: 27.7°C)
- June: 28.3°C (air: 27.4°C)
- July: 28.3°C (air: 27.4°C)
- August: 28.3°C (air: 27.6°C)
- September: 28.3°C (air: 27.8°C)
- October: 28.3°C (air: 27.5°C)
- November: 28.3°C (air: 27.0°C)
- December: 28.3°C (air: 26.9°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Corn Islands
- ATLANTIC FREEZE - 0m (wreck)
- Baboon Cay
- Baboon Cay (reef)
- Blowing Rock - 10-35m (reef)
- Blowing Rock (reef)
- Boden Reef (reef)
- Cave (wreck)
- Cayo Forster (reef)
- Cayo Forster (reef)
- Cayo French Man (reef)
- Cayo Little Tyara (reef)
- Cayo Little Tyara (reef)
- Cayo Noreste (reef)
- Cayo Noreste (reef)
- Columbilla Cay (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Cayo French Man
Marine Life in Corn Islands
Home to 209 recorded species including 173 reef fish, 21 hard corals, 3 other, 3 sharks & rays, 3 sea snails & nudibranchs, 2 starfish.
Notable Species
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Lettuce Coral (Agaricia agaricites) - Hard Corals
- Finger Coral (Porites porites) - Hard Corals
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Sheephead (Microspathodon chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Cola (Ocyurus chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) - Hard Corals
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Spot Snapper (Lutjanus mahogoni) - Reef Fish
- Sammy Johnson (Scarus taeniopterus) - Reef Fish
- Angelfish (Pomacanthus paru) - Reef Fish
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Lesser Starlet Coral (Siderastrea radians) - Hard Corals
- Schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Cayo French Man
Based on average water temperature of 28.3°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°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