Snorkeling in the Gulf of Papagayo on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026

Captain Log · Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026

Today was our first Captain Log, and the Gulf of Papagayo gave me a very good day to start with.

I left Playa del Coco in the morning for a Beach Hopping and Snorkel Tour with repeat guests, which always makes me happy because it means I get to see familiar faces back on the boat.

They were around their 50s and already knew how to snorkel very well, so I knew I could choose a spot that was a little more interesting for them.

Why I chose Punta Gorda first

Because these guests were experienced snorkelers, I decided to start at Punta Gorda instead of choosing the easiest possible snorkeling stop.

Punta Gorda is beautiful and has a lot of marine life, and when the conditions are good it can also work for beginners, but strong snorkelers can enjoy the area even more.

This is one of the things I like about doing private tours, because I can pay attention to who is on the boat and adjust the day instead of following exactly the same route every time.

Dolphins and turtles before we even got in the water

On the way to Punta Gorda we started seeing dolphins and several turtles at the surface, so the wildlife began before anybody even put on a mask.

September and October are months when I often see a lot of turtle activity in this area, and on this morning there were plenty of turtles around.

This is the part I can never promise to a guest, because the animals decide what they are going to do, but when the Gulf starts like this you know it is already a special morning.

Almost one hour snorkeling at Punta Gorda

The snorkeling at Punta Gorda was spectacular, and the guests stayed in the water for almost one hour.

There were many fish and a lot of marine life, while the sea stayed calm and the water was very clear.

When people are enjoying the water like that, I do not like to rush them, especially on a private tour where we have the freedom to let the good stops be good stops.

My second stop at Islas Palmares

After Punta Gorda I headed north along the Papagayo Peninsula to Islas Palmares for our second snorkel.

That stop was also excellent, and we saw eagle rays, more turtles and many fish.

At that point the guests had already seen a lot in only one morning, but the Gulf was still not finished with us.

Then we found monkeys near Playa Jícaro

For our third stop I moved south along the Papagayo Peninsula toward Playa Jícaro, and the conditions were still beautiful.

This time the surprise was on land because we saw white faced monkeys on the beach.

I always like moments like this because a beach hopping and snorkeling tour is not only about what is under the water, sometimes the coastline gives you something completely different.

More dolphins on the way home

Around midday we started heading back, and on the return we saw more dolphins.

The sea was beautiful, the conditions stayed perfect, and I finished the tour feeling very grateful to be able to work in this part of Costa Rica.

Muy agradecido por ver estas lindas condiciones y este pura vida país que tenemos.

Captain Marcy

Why I want to keep these Captain Logs

Every day in the Gulf of Papagayo is different, so I want these logs to show people what actually happened on the water instead of only telling them what a tour is supposed to look like.

On September 23 2026 we had calm water, clear snorkeling, three different areas, dolphins, turtles, eagle rays, many fish and white faced monkeys before lunch.

I cannot promise that exact wildlife on another day because nature does not work from my reservation calendar, but I can use my experience to read the conditions and choose the places that make the most sense for the people on my boat.