Costa Rica's Cocos Island Revealed: Scuba Diving with Hammerhead Sharks and More

Cocos Island is an island protected as a national park more than 300 nautical miles from the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. This isolation and protection is the perfect recipe for epic diving, as hammerhead sharks, massive rays, whiteip sharks and huge schools of fish spend ample time in the waters off this wild island.

I awoke to feeling the boat at ease, and the rumbling of the engines were noticeably silent. As I emerged from my cabin and stepped out to the bow of the Sea Hunter, I saw before my eyes a beautiful untouched paradise. The island was lush and green, with a rainbow spanning across from one side to the other. After traveling 342 miles across the Pacific Ocean, my long journey to Cocos Island was finally over. However, the real adventure was just beginning. With legends of pirates and hidden treasures buried on the island, the treasure I had come to see can only be discovered beneath the waves.

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The scuba diving at Cocos is truly world-class. Encountering white-tip sharks and marble rays on every dive is practically guaranteed. Cocos is also famous for seeing large schools of Hammerhead sharks and other pelagics. Although you may never know if the Hammerheads will pay you a visit or not, the few encounters I was lucky enough to have were amazing. Another highlight worth noting was the massive school of Jacks so abundant they literally block out the sun. It was truly fascinating swimming through them and at times a little disorienting.

Each day, when diving was over, it was a pleasure returning to the comfort of the Sea Hunter liveaboard vessel. The professionalism and experience of her crew are unmatched and they will go above beyond to ensure you enjoy your time at Cocos.

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