Cocos Island - liveaboard

Cocos Island

Located in the Pacific Ocean, 482 km southwest of Cabo Blanco, Costa Rica, lies the famous Cocos Island Marine Park. A rugged and incredibly beautiful island, this World Heritage Site is the crown jewel of Costa Rica's many National Parks. Cocos Island has an irregular coastline and is approximately 24 km2.

The island was formed during a volcanic upheaval about 2,5 million years ago. Its landmass is punctuated by four mountain peaks, the highest of which is Cerro Yglesisas, at 634 meters.

The island has two large bays that make safe boat harbours and sandy beaches. Just off Cocos are a series of smaller basaltic rocks and islets. The largest satellite is Isla Manuelita (formerly Nuez).

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.
Among Cocos Island's many attributes is a startling degree of biodiversity. This Island's world-renowned waters explode with life; including innumerable white tip reef sharks, schooling hammerhead sharks, dolphins, mantas and marbled rays, giant moray eels, sailfish, and of course the occasional whale shark.

Other common encounters are large schools of jacks and tuna, silky sharks, silver tip sharks, marlin, Creole fish, green turtles and octopus. Cocos Island is also home to at least 27 endemic fish species including the exotic red-lipped batfish.

Undersea Hunter

Undersea Hunter has previously worked as a submarine support vessel, research vessel and a support boat for James Bond films! Completely renovated by the Undersea Hunter fleet to meet the needs of today's discerning diver, now she cruises out to the remote Cocos Island.

Undersea Hunter comfortably sleeps 14 guests in twin cabins. Ensuite and individual air conditioning are standard and the saloon has space to spare for dining and relaxing.

Photographers will love the on board laptop and slide projector whilst nitrox and rebreather divers are well catered for.

Undersea Hunter's steel hull brings incredible stability - ideal for the voyage out to Cocos and when you get there 2 large tenders speed you to the dive sites.

Technical Specifications

Length: 28m
Width: 7,4m
Cabins: 7
Guests: 14
Crew: 8
A/C: Throughout
Navigation: GPS, Radar, ecoloder, VHF
Extra: Pro- Photolab for video and camera, multimedia system, nitrox and rebreather friendly

Itinerary

When all passengers are on board and all equpment is safely stored, the overnight sail to Cocos will commence. The island itself is approximately 35 hours sailing upon departure from the jetty.

Upon anchoring, the diving will begin straight away. Bajo Alcyone is one of the area's most famous dives yet this is only one of many dive sites that should not be missed.

Dirty Rock and Manuelita are both frequented by hammerheads, so there is plenty of opportunity to get great shots if you are a photo enthusiast.

Silverado, Shark Fin Rock and Punta Maria are all unforgettable dive sites offering a glimpse of Cocos thriving ecology.

The daily itinerary changes according to the seasonal marine life action, as well as the weather conditions.

NOTE: Cocos is an advanced itinerary for divers with experience in drift diving. The island is very remote and two days of sailing are required to get to the nearest hyperbaric chamber, so divers are asked to be conservative.

Cocos Island Travel info

Travel info - Cocos Island

Time: Costa Rica and Cocos Island -6 GMT

Currency: Colones ($1 USD = ca. 529 c)

Language: Spanish, but English is widely spoken

Visa: All passengers must have a valid passport. Most EU citizens do not need a passport, but if in doubt we recommend checking with the Costa Rican consulate prior to departure.
Health: There is no malaria in Costa Rica and no vaccinations are necessary. Drinking water is safe in cities and resorts.

Recompression chamber: The nearest Recompression Chamber is in Panama City, more than two days sailing from Cocos.

Clothing & Traditions: We recommend casual and cool cotton attire while on board. Nights can be chilly and/or drizzly so bringing a sweater, light jacket or windbreaker is recommended. In San JosÃ© dress is slightly more formal - long pants for men in the evening and a dress or pantsuit for women is appropriate.

Weather/ water temperature: Average water temperature is 26 C to 29 C.

Departure Tax: There is a departure tax of $26 USD (subject to change without notice)