Islas Frijoles
Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily — treat everything here as planning ranges.
The Frijoles are a cluster of rocky islets north of Coiba where the park shows its smaller handwriting. Boulder reefs and crevice walls hold frogfish in half a dozen sponge-matched colors, Pacific seahorses curled on the rubble, and nudibranchs enough to slow any dive to a crawl - macro hunting of a quality the eastern Pacific rarely gets credit for. The usual park cast carries on around the edges: whitetips under the overhangs, turtles, morays, and passing eagle rays. Guides here switch from pointing at the blue to pointing at the rock, and photographers who brought only wide-angle lenses spend the boat ride home negotiating a second trip.
The moment you come for: Frogfish and seahorse hunting, nudibranch variety, gentle profiles close to the island
Topography: Rock islets with boulder reefs, crevices, and sponge growth
Know before you splash
Hazards: Surge into the crevices on swell days.
Who you'll meet
Frogfish
Nudibranchs
Seahorses
Whitetip Reef Shark
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★☆☆ · Macro: ★★★★★ — editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting