Snorkeling At Catalina Islands & North Island - Cr

Wonderful morning of snorkeling..our guide was terrific..very friendly and safety mimded..saw lots of fish...nice boat..all staff were TERRIFIC..thoroughly enjoyed ourselves

Great half day trip snorkelling in 2 locations. Got to see lots of fish Dave and Ian looked after us by well Felt very safe and whole thing was well managed and organised. Lots of drinks and snacks, and they went out of their way to look after us, as a few of the group did suffer with sea sickness.

I had an amazing experience diving with the team at PCDC. From the start, the check-in and setup process was seamless. As a larger individual, I particularly appreciated that your equipment was well-maintained and that my wetsuit fit perfectly. The transfer to the beach was quick, and the dive boat was spacious and in excellent condition. Your crew was fantastic and very personable; it was a highlight when the captain slowed down to let us enjoy the dolphin pod playing nearby. Once underwater, safety was clearly a top priority. We saw an incredible variety of marine life, including a large Green Sea Turtle, a lobster, a baby shark, eels, an octopus, and two small seahorses—which I had never seen before. The food was fresh and delicious, and the entire day went by far too quickly. I could not have asked for a better experience on or under the water.

Here’s a polished recommendation you can use: We had an amazing snorkeling experience in Costa Rica with Siri as our guide. She was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and made the entire trip unforgettable for my son and me. Siri took the time to point out so much sea life we would have otherwise missed, and her passion for the ocean really showed throughout the tour. She made us feel safe, comfortable, and excited the entire time. If you are visiting Costa Rica and looking for an incredible snorkeling adventure, I highly recommend booking with PDC. She truly made the experience special for our family, and we will definitely remember this adventure for years to come.

Risky our lead was an amazing & funny chap. Very personal & informative & took care of the entire group. The crew was very nice too.

Poorly organized trip - we spent more time waiting on land than we did actually sailing or snorkeling. The time we did spend on the water was mostly spent fending off other snorkelers. We arrived at the office at 7:30 and checked in and waited until about 8:30 or 9 before we boarded a van down to the waterfront. We waited at the waterfront for another 45 minutes before we were ferried in groups out to the boat - waiting again for another 30 minutes for everyone to load on. Once we sailed we waited to drop off the scuba divers in two groups then finally got in the water. Unfortunately, the plan then involved following a single lead snorkeler as we swam along the reef. It resulted in cloudy/washed up conditions, crowded quarters and a generally unenjoyable experience.

They use a sanitizer on the snorkeling gear and do not let it air out or dry at all. Many of those on my snorkel tour ended up being nauseated and puking off the side of the boat due to inhaling these chemicals. Great group of tour guides, but this really altered all of our experiences.

The staff, which included Risky and others, was excellent, providing clear guidance and working hard to find and identify various wildlife and keep the group organized and safe. They also moved at a good speed allowing time to float and observe instead of other tours which just move along at a quick pace past the formations not really stopping to wait and see what shows up. The fresh fruit snacks were fresh and tasty. We saw 2 large Manta Rays, one at each snorkel site, (which I forgot our GoPro so didn't capture a picture or video, so if any one on the tour captured some good shots or video it would be great to load them!!! ??) which was very lucky but the highlight of the snorkeling

The guides were very professional and gave us a great experience at and around the boat. I felt safe and had a lot of fun discovering the underwater world.

The crew was great and made sure we had fun and stayed safe. The snorkeling was decent although visibility wasn’t great. We did see lots of fish of all colors and sizes and two rays!

Well organized trip. Saw manta rays , sharks , and lotsa fish. Good cookies too

We had a fun experience! The crew was all great, I felt like it was all very organized and they did a good job making it so we could see the most possible and also felt very safe. Only thing I didn’t love was how crowded it was but I believe they did a good job making things go smoothly despite how many people there were. Saw a lot of fish, a small shark, and some people se sting rays.

Guides Risky and Sammy were great with my son. Sammy took pictures underwater! Everyone was helpful and friendly!

Extraordinary experience! The staff could not have been better — so knowledgeable, kind, detail oriented and attentive to every aspect of guests’ safety and enjoyment. We saw such amazing sea life! And the opportunity to have 45 min snorkeling in each of 2 wonderful locations was a real plus! Light refreshments on the boat were just right. The main guide, Risky (yes, that’s really his name and he acknowledges that it’s ironic) was incredibly kind and accommodating to my husband, who had been experiencing vertigo all week but wanted to try. In the end, it wasn’t possible but Risky did all he could to try to find a way for my husband to be comfortable in the water. We had a great experience (even though only I got to enjoy the sea life). Highly recommend!

This was a very well organized tour, that was reasonably priced. A shuttle boat was used to ferry us and out gear to the main boat. Our guides Riski, Billy and Gaston, were very helpful and informative. They took the safety of the group seriously. A reasonable number of guides was assigned to the group. It featured 2 different sites that were different from each other. The length of the snorkeling time in deep water was more than adequate for both sites. We enjoy the trip immensely. It was a worthy trip, and we recommend this tour group.

We did not like this excursion at all. The company takes snorkelers and divers on the same boat. There were probably 50 people on the boat so everything moved slowly and it felt very long and dragged on. Once the snorkelers were in the water, the boat left for 45 minutes to go pick up the divers in their small groups. The waters were choppy and visibility was poor - although this is not the company's fault, this meant that the snorkelers were stranded in choppy water for 45 minutes with no ability to get back on the boat if they wanted to. This same process repeated itself for a second snorkel/dive, and as a result, many snorkelers chose to simply stay on the boat rather than again be stranded in the water longer than they wanted to be. I am sure it was fine for the divers, but I would not recommend this trip at all if you are snorkeling. Choose a company that separates snorkelers and divers.

This tour definitely feels like a cattle call and is extremely basic for snorkelers. We arrived to the dive center at 7:30am only to sit there for an hour and wait for all the divers to get their wet suits fitted, get our fins and sign waivers. To cut time, snorkelers could meet at the beach and waivers could be done digitally prior along with fins being distributed on the boat. After we got our fins, we then had to drive to the meeting point by the water which was not clear on where the meeting point actually was, they just directed us to “follow the vans.” Once you’re on the boat you’re divided into divers and snorkelers. Our tour was very full with roughly 28 snorkelers and 25 divers. It was a very packed boat. The guides are mostly focusing on getting the divers setup. For our snorkeling group, the guides seemed very inexperienced and at one point we were in the water and the guide’s buoy was floating unattended for several minutes. They also were picking up the sea life…conch shells, sea urchin and starfish which I thought was extremely irresponsible and disrespectful to the ecosystem. Also, bring your own snacks…they literally had one platter of pineapple and bags of little cookies that were not appetizing. For the price you’d think they would be a little more thoughtful about this aspect considering you’re on the tour for several hours. The visibility of the water was decent but the second snorkeling spot was extremely choppy and wavey. If you’re a diver this is a great price point but for snorkeling not so much. No thrills or extra attention just a very basic tour.

This was a great experience, all the staff were very friendly and helpful, we saw lots of cool fish including starfish pufferfish and parrot fish and many others, we even saw a humpback whale!!

I did my PADI certification here with Sammi. He was amazing; very patient and safety oriented and easygoing but firm. Highly recommend this dive center, the team are all helpful and knowledgeable and great to work with.

Was a decent trip, definitely felt like the planning is more for the scuba divers than snorkeling. The equipment they give you is all shared, handed it out and then collected in between locations so you got a different mouth piece that someone else recently used and not disinfected in-between... Definitely recommend bringing your own equipment. Guides were safe and the first location was good, we were in the water for a max time of 1 hr of the 5 hr tour (40 mins one location 20 mins the next).. did see lots of dolphins and sea life on th boat ride- but all in all we saw more fish and life off the coast than there.

Excellent experience. Snorkeling was superb. Saw some Whales too! Guide was knowledgeable and personable. Boat crew excellent too. Would definitely use them again.

Awesome experience with great guides ! We were able to have snorkeling and diving on the same boat so the whole family could join us.

Had an excellent snorkel trip with my Gram. We saw many beautiful fish, and swam with a school Of yellow jacks I even caught a glimpse of a manta ray. Water was rough that day and I inadvertently swallowed a ton of seawater when my snorkel malfunctioned. I ended up seasick for the very first time. Andy was an amazing tour guide, took photos and videos for us and acted quick when he realized how green I was. On the return trip I was back to feeling normal and enjoying a good laugh over the whole thing. Our fellow snorkelers saw white tip reef sharks also. It ended up being a great day despite feeding the fishes!

We went on the snorkelling excursion, and the water was extremely rough. The swells were huge. There were no other boats out by the Catalina Islands at all. The boat dropped us off to snorkel and we had one guide for about eight snorkellers . We are very experienced snorkellers and have been doing it for over 35 years. My husband got dragged into an outcropping of rocks by a current and he was in trouble. Kept getting slammed into the rocks . The guide didn’t even notice. He was too busy with his head in the water snorkeling. . I had to get my husband and drag him over to the guide. The guide offered him a pool noodle. My husband could not catch his breath and he was all cut up and I don’t think a pool was acceptable. In any case, the boat was quite far away and the guide had to signal for them to come back. It was very scary and I don’t think people should be snorkeling in those conditions. Because it was so rough, the water was murky and we saw absolutely no fish. A terrible trip all in all and not worth a penny. It should have been cancelled due to rough conditions

Excellent experience, we loved our snorkel with Andres and Ralf. The fish we fantastic, also an octopus, sharks, turtles, and a whale (from the surface). A well run and fun experience!

Our fantastic guide Risky, showed us the wonders of many tropical fish, a trip for all abilities. A super morning with a great team and banter, and plenty of refreshments for hungry teens!

I wish they'd have canceled the booking. To be clear, the team was awesome. Super nice and very professional. That said. The water was horrible. I had a massive issue and without making this 4 pages long, had to be helped out of the water. I've snorkeled from shore and boat before. The current and the swells were no joke. Someone on the boat mentioned that this time of year the water should be like a pond. IT WAS NOT LIKE A POND :) After less than ten minutes in the water the rest of the trip was recovering from trying to not drown. I really wish they'd just canceled our booking. Even folks with me that were able to successfully snorkel said it was hellish. I know they're not responsible for the conditions of course, but are responsible for taking folks out in it.

Great day snorkeling. These guys are a well oiled machine. They never stopped working from the moment you arrive to the moment you depart. Truly a great crew. Andres and Ralph were our guides. They did a great job and managing a pretty large group, and making sure we saw tons of incredible marine life. Two huge thumbs up. Would definitely recommend!

The staff were excellent. They were sure to point out interesting fish, turtles and starfish. We would highly recommend.

We scuba dived with Pacific Coast Dive Center 23 years ago to the same locations but this time we snorkeled- just as good of an experience as before- very attentive, informative, and safe! Risky is great as were our other guides- but he was sure to make everyone feel welcome, comfortable, and provided information about each species we saw.

My family went snorkeling with Pacific Coast Dive Center on a trip with Risky, Lucia, Billy, and one other instructor (a British chap; I apologize for not remember your name!). We had a lovely time! The boat was well appointed (even had a bathroom) and had good facilities for getting divers on and off. The instructors / leaders were good, patiently getting everyone moving in the right direction, while also emphasizing safety and sharing knowledge of the area. Conditions were less than ideal (a lot of swells), but we still saw some lovely wildlife including puffer fish and a white tipped shark (harmless and not at all scary). A great trip and I would highly recommend it!

We had an amazing time snorkeling with Risky! Saw many big schools of fish which Risky helped identify. We also learned a lot about the islands.

We had a great time! I felt like we had a lot of time to snorkel. The location was beautiful and we saw a ton of fish. Our tour guide was fun and knowledgable.

The staff were amazing! Our family of four really enjoyed the hospitality and the knowledge of the staff. We felt comfortable, and safe while enjoying the sea life experience!

This tour was super fun and the guides were amazing. Risky was our main guide and he made sure we were safe even when the waves were pretty big due to the wind. He made sure to highlight and repeat a lot of important safety information so we always knew what we were doing and what we shouldn’t do. I did get sea sick and they were super helpful with that as well. Got to see many cool fish and a type of sting ray!

Highly recommend this tour. Very knowledgeable guides that are super friendly. We felt incredibly safe the entire time, and were able to rely on Isa while we snorkeled to know where to find the best spots and to know where it was safe to be. The fresh fruits were delicious and the perfect mid-trip snack. Would definitely do this one again if we are ever back in the area!

Amazing experience! We were going as a group of 4 (2 divers and 2 snorkelers), and we all had a wonderful time. The team is incredible, made us feel at ease and taken care of. Great service both in English and Spanish, all smiles and we were treated like royalty. Risky, Laura and Aurelia were all very helpful, nice and patient with our group, apart from being local experts of the islands. Plenty of fish to see and nice warm weather, ice tea and tropical fruit, true pura vida!

This was a wonderful experience. The staff and crew were so accommodating and supportive to everyone. They are knowledgeable and very professional, safety was a top concern but did not interfere with having fun. Our first snorkeling spot of the trip we saw a lot of beautiful schools of tropical fish. It was incredibly relaxing. The second stop of the day we saw a small sea turtle. I highly recommend this tour!

Tons of fun! We went to two different spots that were both beautiful. Saw tons of pretty fish, and even a couple rays and an eel. The guides were very friendly and provided water and snacks!

We had a great time diving with this crew. They had great personalities, were extremely knowledgeable and we saw some cool fish, jumping rays and a few HUGE manta rays!! Risky was our leader and he did a great job pointing out the different species and explaining them to us. We had some good snacks onboard too.

My husband and I had a great time snorkeling with Pacific Coast Dive Center. The staff was great, super friendly and helpful. The water was beautiful. The highlight of the trip was that we got to see several giant Manta Ray!! Cannot recommend this family run business enough!!

We went to Catalina Island snorkeling. Boat ride was great. Water was perfect. Staff was fun and professional. Great time

This was my first time in Costa Rica! We went snorkeling with this crew and they made it so much fun. They made everyone feel safe and taken care of. The Crew was so knowledgeable and full of energy! If you plan on coming to Costa Rica 10/10 recommend booking with Pacific Coast Dive Center you won’t leave disappointed. We saw so many fish and giant manta ray even a SHARK! It was a memorable experience that I will cherish forever!

This is a diving trip that snorkelers get to accompany. The staff were very nice and the boat was nice, however, the snorkeling was way below average. Some of this is out of the company’s control (rough seas, heavy silt and poor visibility). At the first stop, while we briefly saw some cool things (giant manta, jumping devil rays), most of our time was spent out in open water with nothing to see or do. The guides provided little to no guidance on where to go. The second stop had better visibility but again, not sure that the “guides” really led us to see anything special. Sounds like the divers saw a lot of cool stuff, but we were just an after thought. Pick another trip if you actually want to see things while snorkeling.

Great trip! Family, kids 15 and 12, have snorkeled a bunch in the Caribbean but this was a new experience. Water is not as clear and stronger currents but it was great. Lots of manta rays and schools of smaller fish, someone even caught a photo of a white tip shark when they free dove down. Crew was incredible! Few younger kids on the trip who panicked and the crew stuck with them and talked with them the whole time to keep them calm. Would highly recommend Pacific Coast Dive Center for a trip. Just be aware that you are snorkeling off shore and it is the ocean.

Check in was 1.5 hour process from our show time of 7:30 until on the boat at 9 am. We stood on the beach for over 10 minutes waiting for two late arrivals. The weather forecast was for strong winds, white caps. While the company can not control the weather the boat has a helm and a Captain. Why they would put 20 snorkelers into 3-5 foot seas for 45 minutes on the windward side of the island with NO boat in sight in the open ocean is beyond comprehension and downright dangerous. The Company/Captain could have taken us inshore to many beautiful snorkel/dive spots yet they chose to subject then entire boat to 45 minutes of ocean spray coming across the bow and the SECOND deck to journey to Catalina/North Island. I do not get sea sick yet at least 10% of the boat were sea sick. This company makes many poor decisions throughout the entire excursion. Why serve pineapple and then tell people if your seasick dont eat it? There are many delicious CR fruits lower in acid that would help those who are prone to seasickness. Why are workers allowed to show up stoned and sleep on the excursion? They could have towed a panga or zodiac behind the main boat so there was some way for the snorkelers to get out of the water. The briefing clearly stated that if you wanted out of the water you could get out. That is not what occurred. They could have gone to many wind protected areas they but chose not to. They could have disembarked little kids and sea sick people first yet they did not. The whole loading and unloading process takes close to 1 hour depending on what wave you are on. This company needs some major changes to policies and procedures to ensure their guests are comfortable and safe. I have snorkeled the world and this is by far the worst run business I have ever come across.

I went for one thing and one thing only and was lucky enough to see Manta Ray be warned the island is rocky and current is strong so take the floats to help when snorkeling. The day we went sea was cloudy so no good underwater photos but the staff kept us safe and were very nice 😊 the experience was something to remember forever. We also saw whales on the trip out to the island

Very disorganized check in process taking 1.5 hours from assigned show time of 7:30 until on the boat at 9. There were 19 snorkelers and about 30 divers. We were told to wear our wetsuits half on from checkin until in the water 2.5 hours later producing overheated people as the small amount of shade on the upper deck was used by guides to brief divers. The lower deck is for divers and all their gear. It takes 3 shuttles to get everyone on and off the boat. A 30 minute process minimum. The beach was full of live jellyfish. Little kids have zero preference getting on or off the boat. Snorkelers are last in the water and the boat vanishes for 40 minutes as it circles the island picking up divers. If people want out the water there is nothing you can do until the boat returns. This is not what was briefed!! The day we went water temps had dropped and it was windy. Why they did not go to a more protected area is beyond me. There are many protected dive/snorkeling spots which could have made for a better experience. We did many excursions in our 14 day stay and this was by far the worse excursion.

We had an incredible experience! From start to finish, the crew was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the trip both fun and comfortable. They provided drinks and snacks, and the two long snorkeling stops gave us plenty of time to take in the beautiful underwater world. The focus of the trip was on manta rays, and we were not disappointed—we saw plenty of them up close, which was an unforgettable experience. The crew did a fantastic job ensuring everyone felt safe and got the most out of the excursion. If you’re looking for a great snorkeling adventure a little way off the coast, this is the trip for you. The combination of amazing wildlife, a well-organized tour, and an enthusiastic crew made this one of the highlights of our trip. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to explore the ocean and see manta rays in their natural habitat!