Diving Holidays to The Cocos Island: Sample Programme

Liveaboard Diving accommodation at The Cocos Island

Accommodation is on a liveaboard. We currently offer an excursion on the Okeanos Aggressor, the MY SEA HUNTER and MY UNDERWATER SEAHUNTER. Please click here to find out more about our Cocos Liveaboard.

The Undersea Hunter and the Sea Hunter
Due to its remote location Cocos Island is still a great sanctuary for marine mammals and big fish life. With water temperatures of 26ºC and 30m average visibility, this diving paradise is a must for the keen diver. However, it is difficult to reach and the success of any trip requires a very good standard of boat and a proficient crew. The Undersea Hunter and Sea Hunter offer excellent accommodation, very high levels of service and superb diving and safety facilities including Nitrox and Draeger rebreathers.

Photographers and video enthusiasts will be delighted with the resources available to them, including E6 processing and PAL/NTSC playback. The Undersea Hunter is 90ft long and provides accommodation for fourteen guests in seven en-suite cabins; two double bed cabins, two twin cabins and two twin/double cabins. The Sea Hunter is 115ft long and provides accommodation for eighteen guests in eight cabins; three double cabins, two triple cabins and three twin cabins. All cabins have en suite bathrooms. Both vessels are fully air conditioned and there is plenty of desalinated hot and cold water, a washing machine and dryer for client’s use as well as ice makers and a well stocked bar.

The Sea Hunter is 115 feet of live-aboard comfort and convenience. It is a dedicated modern dive cruiser that has been specifically built for long-range dive exp ed itions to destinations like Cocos Island and Malpelo. A former commercial dive support vessel, she was robustly built in1980 to serve the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico . In 1994 we purchased Sea Hunter and through eight months of extensive renovation and refurbishing, turn ed the boat into the striking vessel she is today. A superbly comfortable, stable and spacious vessel with everything a serious diver/photographer could wish. She is now a rare hybrid that combines the large working platform and powerful machinery of a functional workboat, with the comfortable and functional interior of a modern luxury yacht.

The boat and her crew specialize in providing excellence in service, food, and underwater excitement. She has eight cabins for a total capacity of 18 passengers, all with private bath. Dive facilities are extremely well design ed with individual gear storage, private camera/strobe storage shelves including individual 110-volt AC power, and a private dryer for clients' towels and bathing suits. Her spacious layout and user friendliness has introduced divers, as well as underwater professionals (photographers & cinematographers) to an entirely new concept in live-aboard.

Sample Schedule at the Cocos Island

Two dives in the morning ( 8 AM and 11 AM ), one in the afternoon ( 3 PM ) and a night dive at 6 PM .

After a dive briefing from our Divemasters on the mothership, our guests board the two skiffs that each accommodate up to nine divers plus Divemaster, who always dive with the group and the Skiff Driver. After a short ride, each of the skiffs will reach a different dive site that is switch ed on the following dive allowing the two groups to dive the same areas but at different times of the day.

On the way to or from the divesites it is very common to find exciting snorkeling opportunities with Pacific Mantas, Bottlenose Dolphins or even a Bait Ball that will keep the adrenaline brewing all day long.

Between the dives, as the tanks are being refill ed there is time for Sea Kayaking or to go back on the skiffs for a photo tour or land excursions.

The dive skiffs on-board Sea Hunter and Undersea Hunter are an asset worth mentioning. At times when a rubber inflatable would be crippl ed in the wind-blown vastness of the Pacific, these large, heavy-duty fiberglass dive cruisers provide the stability and safety that is essential at Cocos Island . We put nine or fewer divers in each skiff and move them safely and efficiently to diverse dive sites around the island.

Each measuring twenty four feet in length and with over nine foot of beam, these boats are extremely stable in any sea conditions. Our skiffs are power ed by twin 90HP 4-cycle fumeless outboard motors. These modern engines provide the power and redundancy required to reach any of the remote dive sites within a safe radius of the mother ship. At the end of the dive, boarding is made via a solid and stable ladder.

These boats are equipped with integrated racks for scuba diving equipment, separate camera storage area, VHF radios, depth sounders and T-Roof, which offers shelter from the tropical elements to the crew and camera equipment. They further hold all the necessary safety equipment, oxygen first-aid kit, spare dive gear, and tools.

These extra large skiffs also serve as a dive platform throughout the duration of the trip. Personal dive gear is kept onboard the skiffs during the dive days. This eliminates the need to carry heavy scuba tanks back and forth and reduces wear and tear.

Several excursions on the island can be planned during our trips. Most popular is the visit to the isolated Ranger Station at Chatham Bay where pirates, whalers and yesteryear’s visitors left their ships names carves in stone on the numerous boulders along the beautiful sandy beach.

Other excellent options are walks to one of the beautiful waterfalls where, after a short hike through the impressive tropical jungle, you can take a treasured bath in one or several fresh water pools.

Also available, depending on weather, are guided tours of the trail linking Chatham and Wafer bays. This hike offers marvelous panoramas of Cocos shores and a rare glimpse of the Island ’s dense rain forest. One of Cocos endemic birds, the Cocos Finch is a common and curios companion along this trail. So unaccustomed to human presence, they can almost be touch ed .

For the serous hikers among us, a long 8 hours trek to Cerro Yglesias summit, the highest peak in Cocos, can be plan ed with prior arrangement and the permission of the national park rangers. A visit to the main park ranger installation at Wafer Bay and its adjacent stream and forest can be arranged when sea conditions permit a safe beach landing.

In between dives ask our Dive-Masters to launch one of our stable Ocean Kayaks for your enjoyment. Paddling along the Cocos shore offers a fantastic and relaxing experience during which hidden waterfalls and countless nesting sea birds will reveal themselves.

A Dolphin Rebreather has no electronic parts and no controls to operate underwater except for the valve that opens the Nitrox gas supply to the circuit, that's it! Everything is preset at the surface as you plan each dive with the appropriate Nitrox mix and the proper gas flow rate for the maximum operating depth that you intend to dive.

This basically means that you have to prepare your equipment carefully prior to your dive and stick to your plans. The preparation of your rebreather is crucial. We like to compare its importance to the skydiver who folds his or her own parachute before a high altitude dive. The technical diver has to learn new skills and adopt a professional attitude in the safe practice of "rebreather" diving.

Sample Schedule Cocos & Malpelo

The sinister and forbidding Malpelo Island is located 314 miles (506 Kilometers) off the coast of Buenaventura, Colombia in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. A small Colombian Navy garrison has been in place since 1986 and ten years later Malpelo was recognized as a Colombian Fauna and Flora Sanctuary, with a marine protected area of six miles around the island.

It is the peak of a large submarine volcanic ridge that stretches for 150 miles, from northeast to southwest. The Malpelo ridge rises from depths of 13,123 feet (4000 meters) to reveal itself as the tiny, solitary rock of Malpelo.

Malpelo was once eight to ten times larger than its present size of eight 8 square kilometers. The rocky outpost, known to many as “la Roca” or the Rock, has three distinct peaks. The highest of which, “El Cerro de La Mona”, stands at 1233 feet above sea level (376 meters).

The maritime weather has eroded the island forming steep cliffs and sea caves along its threatening coastline. The north and south sides of the island are decorated by 11 smaller satellite rocks, each with its own appeal.

On July 12th 2006 the Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary was declared a Natural World Heritage Site by the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).The decision was made by an unanimous vote of the 21 member countries of the committee meeting in Lithuania. Malpelo and the Giant Panda Sanctuary in China received this prestigious title from among 100 proposals presented to the committee.

The submarine environment surrounding Malpelo is defined not only by its isolation but also by its location, which is highly influenced by several diverse marine currents. This phenomenon provides for a focus in the dispersion of marine fauna throughout the Indo Pacific and Western Pacific.

Malpelo is home to an important coral formation as well as a large variety and quantity of marine creatures. Of special interest is the hammerhead shark with its awe-inspiring schools reaching up to 300 hundred individuals. The two most outstanding phenomena in Malpelo are the huge number of cluster and free swimming moray eels and the enormous congregations of silky sharks who often mix with hammerheads to form colossal shark schools.

Other common sightings are the white tip shark, Galapagos shark, giant schools of angel fish, Creole fish, jacks, tuna, and occasionally a sail fish, whale shark and even Humpback Whale.

Cocos & Malpelo Itinerary

Arrival Day You must arrive at least one day prior to the boat departure date. Upon arrival to San José , transfer to your pre booked hotel and accommodation- overnight in hotel. The evening before boat departure, an Undersea Hunter representative will fax you to confirm your pick up time the next day. The evening is at your leisure

Day 1 The following day, pick up from your hotel and transfer by bus to Puntarenas where you will board the vessel. The pick-up is usually fairly early for Malpelo trips. The drive takes about 2 1/2 hours, and gives you a chance to view the lush forest and rich farmland of the region.

Due to occasional low tides the boats may need to depart from the pier earlier in the day. Should this occur, you will be transferred by skiff to the vessel. When all passengers have arrived on board, the vessel will take an approximately 40 hour cruise out to Malpelo Island .

Day 2 A travel day. There will be time to arrange dive and camera gear as well as enjoy the Pacific and the sunshine. Also, the group of incredibly experienced divers provides plenty of stories to pass the time. There are videos and the experience of the Captain and crew to help you get excited for the diving...as if you need them. In addition, you may want to take this time to take one of their technical diving courses.

Days 3 to 5 Spent diving the sites around the perimeter of Malpelo Island . Divers usually average three dives per day at depths of 30-50 metres or more. This, of course, is what the whole trip is about.

Day 6 Make the last 3 dives before continuing towards Cocos Island .

Day 7 Another travel day, the crossing to Cocos takes about 36 hours.

Days 8 to10 Time to continue the diving, as you explore the pinnacles around the perimeter of Cocos Island . Divers usually average three dives per day at depths of 60-100 feet or more.

Day 11 Make the last 3 dives before the cruise back to Costa Rica and reality!

Day 12 All day to discuss the diving and to compare your adventures!

Day 13 Arrival to Puntarenas. Immediately after breakfast you will be transported back to San Jose . We strongly recommend staying one more night on land, before flying out, in case of any unforeseen delays.

Notes This itinerary can change slightly if the weather is not cooperative at Malpelo. Take note that water temperatures can be considerably colder at Malpelo than at Cocos.

Land Arrangements

Prices for diving The Cocos Island

PRICES - 2008 / 2009

Sea hunter & Undersea hunter - Liveaboard only.

PRICES INCLUDE accommodation on board M/Y UNDERSEA HUNTER or M/Y SEA HUNTER in double/twin sharing cabin- full board during the cruise up to 3/4 dives per day (except during sailing days)- transfers to/from Puntarenas.

PRICES EXCLUDE return flights on United Airlines, Continental or Iberia from London Heathrow, 2 nights in four star hotel at San Jose (1 night on arrival day 1 night on disembarkation day). SUPPLEMENTS: National Park fee and fuel surcharge advised at time of booking.

PRICES INCLUDE accommodation on board M/Y UNDERWATER SEA HUNTER or M/Y SEA HUNTER in double/twin sharing cabin- full board during the cruise up to 3/4 dives per day (except during sailing days)- 2 nights in four star hotel at San Jose (1 night on arrival day 1 night on disembarkation day) breakfast included- all transfer from / to airport and to/from Puntarenas.

FLIGHT PRICES - 2008 / 2009

The flight prices will be advised at the time of booking subject to available booking class, airport departure tax and fuel surcharge.

On arrival to San Jose you will be transferred to your chosen hotel for one night B&B. The following morning you will be collected for the 2.5 hour coach ride to the seaport of Puntarenas where you will board the boat. The passage across the Pacific to Cocos Island takes 32-36 hours during which you may see dolphins and whales. On the morning of the last day you will be transferred from the vessel back to the hotel for another night B&B prior to your return flight the following day.