Visit the pristine beach at Playa Ocotal for an easygoing scuba diving experience. This dive takes place just off the coast, so it won’t take long to boat to your dive site. These dives call for 1 to 3 tanks, and each immersion usually takes about 45 minutes.

Standing on the black-sand beach, you’ll see the Catalina Islands in the distance. Costa Rica’s waters are known for their extreme variety of underwater species. Visibility is usually 30 to 60 feet (9 m to 18 m), depending on the ocean conditions.

Look for octopi hiding in the rocks and watch as they change colors to camouflage with their surroundings. You’ll see tropical fish in a wild array of colors and shapes, as well as zebra moray eels and puffer fish. If you’re lucky, you might even see a sea turtle.

The captain of the boat is always an official dive master. Before you take the plunge, the dive master will make sure you have all the necessary safety information, and answer any questions.