Cocos Island Marine Park

Costa Rica's Cocos Island Marine Park, located approximately 500 km (300 miles) off the west coast of Costa Rica, is covered by an evergreen forest, of the type typically found in South America, with clouds covering the tallest peaks. The landscape is very rugged, thus forming many waterfalls, some of which are spectacular as they plummet from great heights to the sea. The landscape in the surrounding waters is as dramatic as that above. Steep dropoffs and caves, in conjuction with the seas dark, cobalt color provide for a magnificent underwater environment.

Cocos Island, is the world's largest uninhabited island. There are no accommodations available on the island and camping is not permitted. All visitors must arrive by boat, complete with all necessary items. On Cocos Island, 235 species of plants have been identified of which 70 are endemic. There are also 57 crustacean, 118 shellfish, 200 fish, 351 insect and 18 coral species. Three bird species are endemic to the island, Cocos Finch, Cocos Flycatcher and Cocos Cuckoo. The marine life is exceptionally abundant, particularly with sharks, notably the hammerhead, which can reach 4 meters in length, and the white-tipped shark.

Throughout the year, schooling hammerhead sharks are known to inhabit the nearby islands, sometimes in grougs of 50 or more. Also,widely found are parrotfish, several species of rays,moray eels, tuna and mantas. The most numerous plant species are the cupey, the endemic palm and huriki. Ferns, bromeliads and selaginellas are also very abundant. Sea birds are particularly abundant, especially on the nearby islets, as they provide ideal resting grounds. Several bays and inlets provide safe harbor and some pristine beaches. Chatham is located on the northeast side and Wafer Bay is on the northwest. Just off Cocos are a series of smaller basaltic rocks and islets. The largest satellite islet is Isla Manuelita.

The history of Cocos Island is replete with true tales of pirates and explorers. The evidence is everywhere. It can be found in the archives of Spain and England as well as on Cocos itself. For four centuries, adventurers and sailors have left their mark carved in the numerous stones and boulders along the beach of Chatham Bay. Portuguese Captain Juan Cabezas is thought to have been the first to have made a written record of the island in 1526, but whether it was ‘known’ prior to that or if Cabezas could claim to be the first to discover it is still an open question. In 1685 buccaneers, led by Captain Edward Davis, sacked the city of León in Nicaragua. They chose Cocos Island as the site to hide their treasure, thus beginning a tradition that continued for centuries. The island’s reputation and many enduring legends of ill-gotten and untold wealth hidden on Cocos Island, continue to this day. The Treasure of León was said to be buried at Chatham Bay, but whether it was later unearthed and removed remains a matter of speculation. Over the years, many treasure-hunters have mounted expeditions to Cocos. It is said that more than 500 expeditions of varying sizes and degrees of seriousness have been mounted on Cocos Island, all sharing a common and disappointing result. With it all, you can be certain that out there right now, new expeditions are being planned. For as long as there is the lure of buried treasure there shall be schemers and dreamers who think they know better – or will have more luck – than those who have gone before.

One thing is without doubt: The only tangible treasures to be found at Cocos Island, with any certainty, are its lonely scenic beauty and unparalleled sea life. Cocos Island is also home to at least twenty seven endemic fish species including the exotic red-lipped batfish. The terrestrial life at Cocos also exhibits a high number of endemic plants. Here there exist around seventy out of the two hundred thirty five identified vascular plant species in the world, some twenty five species of moss, twenty seven species of liverwort and eighty- five species of fungus. There are upwards of eighty- seven bird species. There are three-hundred-sixty-two species of insects, of which sixty four are endemic, and two native reptiles.

Cocos Island receives an average of twenty five feet of rainfall per year, resulting in a covering of lush green foliage. Waterfalls abound, of which there are up to seventy of varying sizes during the peak of the rainy season. The island also supports a verdant, high-altitude cloud forest. Rare for a small island, this is made possible by dramatic topography, abundant rainfall and surplus water stored in the porous reservoirs of the island itself. This extraordinary island ecosystem is unique to Cocos alone, of all the islands of the Eastern Tropical Pacific (Clipperton, the Revillagigedos, the Galapagos Islands,and Malpelo). Due to the heavy rainfall, the island is also prone to frequent landslides, which helps to account for its irregular geography.

Live-Aboard-Ship

The research vessel Undersea Hunter was built in Florida in 1968 for Perry Oceanographic and was used for twenty years as a submarine support vessel. Working primarily in the Bahamas and the Caribbean, she completed hundreds of research and photographic missions including the Deep Rover Project with Dr. Sylvia Earle. Undersea Hunter's closest brush with fame - so far - was her participation as support vessel for the James Bond movie "License to Kill."

A capable and well-proven research vessel, the Undersea Hunter was modified to include six new cabins, built with conveniences that surpass all expectations, to accommodate 14 passengers. With fuel capacity of 40 tons and water tankage of 26 tons, her blue water capability is almost unlimited. Under the guiding hands of Avi Klapfer and Yosy Naaman, the Undersea Hunter is dedicated to bringing civilized comfort to the delightfully uncivilized gems like Cocos Island.

When all passengers are boarded, the vessel will take a 32-36 hour cruise out to Cocos Island (check specific itinerary of Malpelo/Cocos trips for further details on those trips). Although at most times the cruise to the island is calm, precaution against motion sickness is advised. At the end of the trip you will cruise back to Puntarenas and be transferred by bus to your hotel in San Jose.

Air conditioning throughout the vessel
Sundeck and lounge chairs
Washer and dryer
Refrigerator and ice machine Specialized Equipment: Large deck-mountable Pro-Lab consisting of a 10 ft. x 10 ft. self-contained specialized movie/video camera workstation, and dedicated work tools, fully air-conditioned Guest Accommodations: For 14 guests
7 double cabins
All guest cabins have heads & showers and individual AC control Crew Accommodations: For 8 crew members
4 crew cabins
3 crew heads

Ship Details:

Length: 90 ft (28 Mts.) Beam: 24 ft (7.4 Mts.) Draft: 8 ft (2.5 Mts.) Displacement: 180 tons Construction: Steel with teak work deck Engines: Twin Caterpillar 240 hp Cruising Speed: 9 knots Maximum Speed: 10 knots Range: 6,000 nautical miles Endurance: 24 days Tenders: Two 24 ft. heavy duty fiberglass dive boats
18 ft. rigid bottom inflatable Generators: Two 65 kW and 5 kW portable Available Voltage: 110/220 VAC 12-32 VDC Fuel Tankage: 14,000 gallons Water Tankage: 2,400 gallons
(Two 1,300 gallons/day water makers) Safety: Full safety equipment as per USCG requirements
Comprehensive emergency first aid kit
Emergency oxygen kit for 3 persons
18 Mini Personal Diver Locator MINI B300 ILS EPIRB Scuba Compressors: Two 14 cfm electric Scuba Tanks: 16 air and 18 nitrox aluminum 80 cu/ft tanks
2,200 cu/ft high-pressure storage bank Technical Diving: Full oxygen, nitrox and rebreather service
5 semi-closed Dolphin Rebreathers Electronics: 2 Magellan & 1 Furuno GPS (Global Positioning Systems)
Furuno 64 and 42miles radars
2 recording fathometers
2 VHF radios
3 handheld VHF radios
ICOM full band SSB radiotelephone
SEA 222 SSB radiotelephone
Multi-system television and VCR
CD stereo and slide projector
DVD player
Multimedia Sony VAIO Laptop Computer
SAT-COM Telephone & Datalink System
Radio Direction Finder SIMRAD TAYIO TD-1550 Miscellaneous: 15-ton deck mounted crane
38 ft by 24 ft (11m by 7.4 m) work deck space
Fully equipped workshop
Arc-welding and oxy-acetylene equipment/supplies
14 personal dive gear boxes
14 personal camera lockers with
Stabilized and surge protected 110v outlets

Average temperature is 79 F to 84 F (26 C to 29 C).
Please note Malpelo can have significantly cooler temperatures.