Coco Island National Park, Costa Rica

The only true oceanic island off Central America, Isla Cocos—500 km southwest of Costa Rica—is a 52-square-km mountainous chunk of land that rises to 634 meters at Iglesias Peak. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, the island is the northernmost and oldest of a chain of volcanoes, mostly submarine, stretching south along the Cocos Ridge to the equator, where several come to the surface as the Galápagos Islands. These islands were formed by a hot spot, which pushes up volcanic material from beneath the earth’s crust. The hot spot remains stationary while the sea floor moves across it. Over time, the volcanic cone is transported away from the hot spot and a new volcano arises in the same place.

Cliffs reach higher than 100 meters around almost the entire island and dramatic waterfalls cascade onto the beach.

The island was discovered in 1526 by Juan Cabezas and first appeared on a map in 1542. Prisoners lived here in watery solitude in the late 1800s, and occasional settlers have tried to eke a living. Today it is inhabited only by national park guards who patrol the park equipped with small Zodiacs. The only safe anchorage for entry is at Chatham Bay, on the northeast corner, where scores of rocks are etched with the names and dates of ships dating back to the 17th century.

There are no native mammals. The surrounding waters, however, are home to four unique species of marine mollusks. One endemic plant is christened Franklin Roosevelt, after the U.S. president who made several visits to the island. The island has one butterfly and two lizard species to call its own. And three species of birds are endemic: the Cocos Island finch, Cocos Island cuckoo, and the Ridgeway or Cocos flycatcher (the Cocos Island finch is a subspecies of the famous Galápagos finches, which inspired Darwin’s revolutionary theory of evolution). Three species of boobies—red-footed, masked, and brown—live here, too. Cocos is also a popular spot for frigate birds to roost and mate. The white tern, which may hover above your head, is the espíritu santu, or Holy Spirit bird. Feral pigs, introduced in the 18th century by passing sailors, today number about 5,000 and have caused substantial erosion. The island’s isolation attracts poachers seeking black coral, seashells, and lobster, and fishermen who violate the no-fishing zone to net sharks for fins, which are treasured in Asia.

Access to the island is restricted.

Friends of Cocos Island (FAICO, tel. 240-9383) works to protect the area from illegal fishing.

Diving
The island is one of the world’s best diving spots, famous for its massive schools of white-tipped and hammerhead sharks and eerie manta rays, pilot whales, whale sharks, and sailfish. Cocos is for experienced divers only: drop-offs are deep, currents are continually changing, and beginning divers would freak at the huge shark populations (in fact, converging ocean currents stir up such a wealth of nutrients that the sharks have a surfeit of fish to feed on, and taking a chunk out of divers is probably the last thing on their minds). Snorkelers swimming closer to the surface can revel in moray eels and colorful reef fish.

Four vessels are used for diving at Cocos Island, usually operating 10-day itineraries out of Los Sueños Marina. The Okeanos Aggressor (P.O. Box 330-1000, San José, tel. 506/257-0191, ext. 196, fax 506/256-8095, sales@okeanoscocosisland.com, www.okeanoscocosisland.com; in the U.S., tel. 866/653-2667) is a 34-meter, fully a/c, 10-stateroom ship with complete facilities for 21 divers, including an E-2 film processing lab and helicopter landing pad. It offers eight-, nine-, and 10-day trips from $3,095 pp all-inclusive (the $35 per day park fee is extra).

The Undersea Hunter (tel. 506/228-6613, fax 506/289 -7334, info@underseahunter.com, www.underseahunter.com; in the U.S., P.O. Box 025216, Dept. 314, Miami, FL 33102-5216) is a 27-meter steel-hull ship with two compressors and 50 tanks, seven cabins, and a capacity for 14 divers. Its larger sister ship, the Sea Hunter, is a 38-meter steel vessel that accommodates 18 divers in eight cabins, all with private bath. There’s a film processing lab and two eight-meter dive boats, plus a helicopter landing pad and movie theater.

Cabo Blanco Divers (tel. 506/825-2918, fax 506/642-0467, caboblancodivers@yahoo.com) offers trips.

Information
For information, contact the National Parks Service (tel. 506/283-0022 or tel./fax 506/258-7350, islacoco@ns.minae.co.cr), or the ranger station (satellite tel. 0087-468712-0010). There are no accommodations, and camping is not allowed.