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Diver's Guide to Cocos Island
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Hammerheads at Cocos (Shmulik Bloom - Courtesy of Undersea Hunter Group) |
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At a Glance
Distance from the Equator: 5o31' North
Diving Season: Year-round
Highlights: Hammerheads, Silky sharks, Silvertip sharks, Whitetip shark night dive, Tiger sharks, Whale sharks, Mantas, schooling rays, Orcas, Red-lipped Batfish
Cocos Island Liveaboards >>>
Cocos Island Special Trips >>>
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Costa Rica offers some of the world’s best and most sought after diving. The most famous diving in Costa Rica is at Cocos Island, a UNESCO world heritage site. Cocos has a deserved reputation for some of the greatest shark diving on the planet and the majority of schooling Hammerhead photos are taken here. Cocos is 300 miles off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and is the largest uninhabited island in the world. 20 square miles in area, Cocos is blessed with lush rain forest, tumbling waterfalls and towering cliffs that add to the feeling of mystery that surrounds this isolated island.
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Close encounter with a Whale shark at Cocos Island (Aggressor Fleet) |
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Nowhere else on this planet can pelagic fish be encountered in such numbers, schools of trevally and snapper number in their thousands whilst the sight of over 200 Hammerheads is beyond comparison. Another highlight for many divers in Cocos is Tiger sharks - it is not uncommon to encounter multiple Tiger sharks in a single trip to Cocos. Silky sharks are also seen in great numbers, whilst Blacktips are present on most dives and Silvertips are encountered at Silverado cleaning station. The big plankton feeders, Whale sharks and huge Mantas come along to add to the spectacle and a close relative of Mantas, Devil (Mobula) rays, are seen in schools. Schools of Marbled stingrays is another famous site at Cocos as are the Red-lipped Batfish. And when you think you’ve seen everything this magical Island has to give, Cocos hits you with one final surprise, a night dive at Manuelita where hundreds of Whitetip sharks enter a feeding frenzy on the sea floor digging fish out of their hiding spots!
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Schooling Whitetips (Shmulik Bloom - Courtesy of Undersea Hunter Group) |
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Cocos Seasons
In Cocos the dry season runs December-May, and the rainy season June-November. Water temperatures during the dry season range from 26-28°C/80-83°F, whilst in the rainy season the temperature drops ever so slightly to around 24-26°C/76-80°F. The crossing from mainland Costa Rica to Cocos is often smoother during the dry season but the wet season generally sees more underwater action so August and September remain many people's favourites months to dive Cocos.
Join our Special Trip to Cocos in Aug/Sept 2014 >>>
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MV Argo at Cocos Island (Shmulik Bloom - Courtesy of Undersea Hunter Group) |
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Cocos Liveaboards
We work with Undersea Hunter, Aggressor and Dancer fleet liveaboards to provide you with unforgettable 10 night dive adventures to Cocos Island. During a trip on Undersea Hunter's MV Argo liveaboard you can choose to make a journey to the abyss (up to 305 metres deep) in the DeepSee submersible carried onboard. This unique submersible is also accessible to guests on Undersea Hunter's MV Sea Hunter liveaboard when it is at Cocos Island at the same time as MV Argo.
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DeepSee submersible - accessible to passengers on MV Argo liveaboard (Shmulik Bloom - Courtesy of Undersea Hunter Group) |
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Once you've finished diving...
Once you have completed your Cocos dive adventure we encourage you to add on a stay at a resort at the foot of Arenal Volcano - our recommended resort is Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens. At Arenal you can relax and admire the spectacular views, enjoy Spa treatments and visit the hot springs, or for the more adventurous there are plenty of activities, including hiking tours to Arenal Volcano and Rio Celeste Waterfall, White water rafting on the class III Sarapiqui River, zip lines through the rainforest, Horseback riding to La Fortuna Waterfall and wildlife tours to Cano Negro where you can encounter Sloths, Monkeys, Caimans and a host of bird species.
We believe that your non-diving adventures in Costa Rica will even rival your dives at Cocos Island, and we are happy to arrange an Arenal add-on for you. |
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Cocos Island Liveaboards >>>
Cocos Island Special Trips >>>
To arrange your diving holiday to Costa Rica call us on 0161 442 7703 or email us at info@equatordiving.com |
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Cocos dive site map (Equator Diving/Google Maps)
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Waterfall at Cocos Island (Aggressor Fleet)
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Whitetip shark on Manuelita night dive (Aggressor Fleet)
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Schooling Hammerheads (Aggressor Fleet)
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Feeding Manta (Ben Jackson)
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MV Sea Hunter liveaboard
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Okeanos Aggressor liveaboard
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Wind Dancer liveaboard
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MV Argo's DeepSee submersible (Shmulik Bloom - Courtesy of Undersea Hunter Group)
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Looking out from DeepSee (Shmulik Bloom - Courtesy of Undersea Hunter Group)
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