Scuba diving locations in Panama:

• The Pearl Islands have open-ocean diving and big pelagic action with regular sightings of sometimes hundreds of barracuda, white-tip sharks and huge jewfish.
• The old French railroad system that helped build the Panama Canal, such as the original locomotives and excavators, now rest at the bottom of Gutan Lake.
• On the Caribbean Sea coast is the Bocas del Toro archipelago, parts of which are protected by the Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park which hosts huge quantities and different species of fish, such as huge schools of parrotfish, angelfish, wrasse, blue and brown Chromis and butterflyfish.
• Drake Island, near Portobelo Bay, is the final resting place of Sir Francis Drake. Divers still search for his coffin. The Salmedina reef has many vintage wrecks, and cannons are strewn across the seabed.

When to scuba dive in Panama:

The water is warm all year, but there is a rainy season from May to January and the possibility of typhoons between June and December. The best time for diving on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean is May to December.

Local standards for gear:

The best scuba diving spots in Panama:

The best spots to snorkel in Panama:

Fun scuba facts:

Country data:

Administrative details

• Currency: balboa (PAB), US dollar (USD)
• Population: is about 3,400,000 (2010)
• Time Zone: (GMT-5)
• Main languages spoken: Spanish ## Diveable overseas territories:

Panamanian diving federations:

Local diving laws and regulations (and PADI-equivalent certifications):