The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cocos Island, located 480km (300mi) south-west of Costa Rica in the Eastern Pacific, is remote, wild, accessible only by boat, and probably the best place in the world to go diving with sharks.
Famous for large schools of hammerhead sharks – often as many as 200 at a time, the island is a 36-hour boat ride from Puntarenas and diveable only by live-aboard boat.
Rugged and incredibly beautiful, Cocas Island (featured in the movie Jurassic Park) has two large bays with safe anchorages and sandy beaches.
Dive trips usually last several days and big fish are pretty much guaranteed.
The benefits of diving the largest uninhabited island in the world means no crowds, thrilling dives and a large fish population allowed to grow in harmony within the natural balance of the ‘eat or be eaten’ ecosystem.
Not for beginners, Cocos rates as a real dive adventure.
Coral type – 18 species of hard coral.
Marine life – Hundreds of hammerhead sharks, dolphins, tuna, gigantic marble rays, white-tipped and whale sharks, moray eels, lobsters, turtles, blue-striped snappers, trumpetfish, squirrelfish, yellowtail grunt, hawkfish jacks, rainbow runners, milkfish, grunts, goatfish, starfish, snappers, parrotfish, puffer, box fish, damsel fish, leatherback sea turtles and the rare frogfish.
Reef type – Pinnacles, caves, tunnels, swim-throughs, arches and steep drop-offs.
Type of dives – Reef dives, drift dives, caves and night dives at discretion of divemaster, given the quantity of sharks.
Water temperature – Water temperatures averages 26°C (78°F) in summer, and 24°C (75°F) in winter.
Visibility – Up to 35 metres.
Suit – 3mm inch suit with hood and booties.
Water entry – Usually from heavy-duty fiberglass skiffs from large live-aboard dive boats.
Several charter operators offer from five- to ten-day dive trips to Cocos Island in fully equipped large ocean-going vessels.
Cost includes accommodation, meals, snacks, non-alcoholic and local alcoholic beverages, diving, compressed air tanks, weights and weight belts.
Dive courses – Full range of specialty PADI, NAUI and SSI dive courses available such as Advance Open Water, Master Diver, Nitrox and Rebreather courses and underwater photography. (A Nitrox course is about three hours long).
Equipment – Most operators offer full dive facilities with equipment available for rental.
Some operators include Nitrox diving, DAN O2 emergency kits and safety kits with a personal EPIRB attached to your BCD.
Ideally, bring your own suit, mask, fins, snorkel, regulator with visible pressure gauge, depth gauge, dive computer, buoyancy compensator and dive gloves. Spare equipment is also advised.
Caution – Since the nearest hyperbaric facility in San Jose is 1.5 sailing days away, decompression dives are not permitted and a maximum depth of 40m is imposed.
The open sea crossing between Puentarenas and Cocos Island can be smooth or rough, so if you’re prone to seasickness stock up on ginger tablets or whatever works best for you.
Fees – National Park fee between USD175 and USD245 is payable, depending on the length of trip. Fuel surcharge of USD100 per person is also payable.
Dos Amigos Grande – An enormous deep archway provides a spectacular shelter for large numbers of snapper and colourful reef fish.
The walls seem to come alive as sunlight penetrates the water and dances off every surface highlighting schools of fish and sharks.
Alcyone – At a depth of 46m, this mound of barren rock looms up from the sandy bottom and is home to the largest and most-seen hammerhead shark schools in Cocos.
Submerged Rock – Swimming through an arched hole, see schools of colourful reef fish. The pinnacle serves as a nursery for white-tipped sharks, where one can see pregnant females and tiny babies.
Other activities For centuries the hideout of pirates and adventurers, the island offers great walks hike along the coast or through pristine forests to any of the numerous waterfalls and cool off in the clear waters below.
San Jose in Costa Rica is the jump-off point for Cocos Islands and offers interesting shopping, museums, good dining and casino gambling.
Hike into the rainforest, explore wildlife preserves, spot colourful birds and go horseback riding or white water rafting.
Best time to dive Cocos Island
Year-round, but best from May to October. The dry season lasts from November to May, while the wet season runs from June to November.
Expect torrential rain and beautiful sunny skies throughout the year.
The average temperature is 26°C (78°F). Days are usually sunny with cooler evenings, so pack a windbreaker and sweater alongside those shorts and tee shirts.
Jackson’s Bay – Famous for its exciting swim-throughs that lead you from an inner sand belt through to the patch reef and into the Big Blue.
Fantastic landscapes with hundreds of crevices and tunnels. The bay swarms with sting and eagle rays and turtles.
MS Keith Tibbets – A 380-foot Russian Frigate scuttled by Jean-Michel Cousteau in 1995 just off nearby Cayman Brac.
This wreck dive provides a thrilling opportunity to penetrate a large, but accessible war ship.
The wreck has attracted abundant marine flora and fauna over the years and is a great experience for divers of all qualifications.
Stingray City – One of Grand Cayman’s most famous dive sites. Here, more than 30 Southern Atlantic stingrays swim freely with snorkellers and divers in 3m of water. The site can be reached only by boat.
Other activities Take a stroll around the island and spot iguanas and the bird life at Booby Pond, where a colony of several thousand red-footed boobies nest.
Rent a game boat and head out for some deep-water trolling for blue marlin or cast for bonefish in the shallow waters of a lagoon.
Later, enjoy a beer on the beach or champagne and cocktails in one of the bars along Seven Mile Beach. After dinner, party away the night at one of the many nightclubs.
Best time to dive Little Cayman
Good year-round, but best between May and November. Tropical, with warm rainy summers (June to August) and cooler, dry winters. Average temperatures 25°C (77°F) to 30°C (86°F).
Latest update: Diving Cocos Island, Costa Rica: 6 May, 2025
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