Most sharks on this coast are small and shy. This one is neither. The bull shark is heavy, bold and comfortable in shallow murky water, and a dive with a dozen of them circling in the current at the Bat Islands is one of the great experiences in Costa Rican diving.
Where you’ll see it
The Bat Islands, north of Coco off the Santa Rosa sector of the national park, are the famous site. It is a deep, advanced dive and operators require experience. Bull sharks also use estuaries and river mouths along the Pacific, which is one more reason to stay out of that water.
What to know
Bull sharks tolerate fresh water and turbid conditions, and worldwide they are among the species most often involved in incidents with people. Here those incidents are extremely rare, because the sharks and the swimmers are mostly in different places. Dive with a good operator, follow the briefing, and give brackish water a wide berth, and the rest is spectacle.
