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Hotels, dive operators, gear, and how to get here are on the Coiba National Park location page.
Overview
Hannibal Bank rises from more than 400 meters of Pacific abyss to roughly 36 meters below the surface, an isolated triangular guyot sitting about 40 nautical miles west of Coiba Island. Strong oceanic currents sweep the flat top and steep slope, drawing scalloped hammerhead schools through the dry season, whale sharks around January, and big black tips, silky sharks, yellowfin tuna, marlin, and sailfish year round. Divers drop onto rugose seamount terrain in the blue, hook off when current allows, and watch the deeper slope for the occasional tiger shark passing through. Liveaboard or long day boat from Santa Catalina or Boca Chica; advanced certification, deep training, and surface marker buoys required.
Briefing note
Open-ocean seamount with strong, unpredictable currents; trips run only in flat seas and many operators require minimum logged dives plus AOW and Nitrox. Surface marker buoys are mandatory. Hannibal Bank sits inside the Coiba Special Marine Management Zone (ZEMP) adjoining Coiba National Park; park fees and ranger registration apply. Nearest hyperbaric chamber is in Panama City.
What you'll see
7 species curated- seasonalScalloped hammerheadPeak: Nov · Dec · Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr
- seasonalWhale sharkPeak: Dec · Jan · Feb · Mar
- year-roundBlacktip shark
- year-roundSilky shark
- year-roundYellowfin tuna
- seasonalPacific sailfishPeak: Dec · Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr
- rareTiger shark
Conditions
| Month | Water | Visibility | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24–27 °C | 15–25 m | strong |
| Feb | 24–27 °C | 15–25 m | strong |
| Mar | 25–28 °C | 15–25 m | strong |
| Apr | 26–28 °C | 12–22 m | moderate |
| May | 27–29 °C | 8–18 m | moderate |
| Jun | 27–29 °C | 8–18 m | moderate |
| Jul | 27–29 °C | 8–18 m | moderate |
| Aug | 27–29 °C | 8–18 m | moderate |
| Sep | 27–29 °C | 5–15 m | moderate |
| Oct | 26–28 °C | 5–15 m | moderate |
| Nov | 25–28 °C | 12–22 m | moderate |
| Dec | 24–27 °C | 15–25 m | strong |
Season calendar
Peak season highlighted · current month outlined
Next step
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Hotels, liveaboards, dive operators, gear recommendations, and travel logistics for the whole region.
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