~ by Katharina Bertl / Julia Gerber

An Underwater Experience 

Caño Island is a tropical paradise known for its white-sand beaches and impressive coral reefs. Since 1978 it has been an archaeological and biological reserve and is located 7 miles from Corcovado National Park. Its area covers 494 land and 6,669 maritime acres. About 19 different species of corals can be observed in the reefs, cliffs, caves and canyons around the island.

The underwater life includes a wide range of lobsters, white-tipped reef sharks, sea turtles, manta rays and devil rays. There are large schools of jackfish, parrotfish, snappers, sponges, sea urchins, octopus, starfish and many more. Visitors can only enter the reserve with a guide. It is a good idea to combine your visit with a snorkel or diving trip, which offer the opportunity to admire the beautiful marine underwater world. Out of the many tour operators we chose Costa Rica Dive & Surf for our snorkeling trip. After a one hour boat trip to Caño Island which is known as the second best snorkeling place in Costa Rica (the first one is Coco Island), we had our first stop in the middle of the ocean where we could snorkel our heart's content.

We fully enjoyed the clear, blue colored and warm water. Our professional guide gave us enough free space to discover the sea life by ourselves. We saw plenty of colorful fish – at least 15 different species. If you are lucky you can even see sharks, whales or dolphins. Then it was time for some delicious snacks and a break on the island to renew our energy for another snorkeling dip. Thank you to our guide Leo for the useful snorkeling tips and pointing out a huge turtle and a big stingray.