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Cocos Island

Cocos Island

CocosCosta Rica’s — An Epic Pelagic Adventure Text and photos by Matthew Meier

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Scalloped hammerhead (left) being cleaned by barberfish at Alcyone; Guineafowl puffer on reef (above) PREVIOUS PAGE: Aggregation of blue and gold snappers, whipper snappers and burrito grunts fill the opening of a large underwater cave at Submerged Rock

Tucked behind rocks at 90 feet, Instinctively reversing course in shock was designated a World Heritage Site my fellow divers and I were get- and with a slight pucker factor, I not so by UNESCO in 1997. The marine zone gracefully stumbled backwards over around Cocos Island was added to ting restless hoping for a visit some rocks and fell flat on my butt. So the World Heritage Site designation in from hammerheads or one of much for those amazing pho- 2002. Legend states that over the years, the resident tiger , neither tos I had envisioned while staring with numerous pirates buried treasure on of which were cooperating. The anticipation into the blue. Cocos Island, though despite several Happily all was not lost, the shark extensive searches, none has been dive master motioned for the turned above me, seemingly oblivious recovered. group to follow, as he headed to my plight, and continued on a wide Irregular in shape, Cocos Island has an to another cleaning station and circle that would bring it around for area of approximately 9.2 square miles perhaps better luck. As I turned another pass between the videographer (23.85 squ km). Cocos is tectonic and and myself. This time I managed to keep volcanic in origin, primarily composed of to make sure the videogra- myself upright and captured a photo basalt. The island is incredibly green and pher to my right got the signal, of the tiger as it slowly swam past the lush due to its wet climate and is cov- I saw him kicking in the oppo- videographer—tiger shark 1, photogra- ered in tropical forests and cloud forests pher 1. at elevations above 500m. The cloud site direction to deeper water. Such is the diving at Cocos Island, forest ecosystem is unique to Cocos Figuring he saw something worth where periods of waiting are punctu- pursuing, I swam blindly after ated by heart-stopping big animal inter- him through the haze of a shim- actions. mering thermocline. Emerging Cocos Island out the other side onto the Cocos Island, or Isla del Coco as it is sandy bottom at 104 feet, I was known locally, first became part of staring at my very first tiger shark in 1832. It is uninhabited, except for a small group of national as it swam past the videogra- park rangers. The island became a pher and straight towards me. Costa Rican national park in 1978 and Red-footed booby looks down from its perch (left); Palm trees lean out over rocky cliffs (above)

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CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT: Scalloped with Pacific creole- fish; Tiger shark swim- ming past an under- water videographer; Goldrim surgeonfish and razor surgeon- fish forage for food; Pair of octopus on the rocky reef appear to be mat- ing

ing scalloped hammerhead and is attracted to the nutrient-rich are properly certified. capable of holding onto rocks silky sharks, innumerable whitetip ocean currents that swirl around Diving at Cocos Island can be at depth so as not to be blown reef sharks, Galapagos, silvertip this small island 340 miles west of absolutely magical, but this is not away by the strong currents. and now tiger sharks. It is also not Costa Rica in the Eastern Pacific a destination for beginners or the Cleaning stations exist at sev- uncommon to see whale sharks, Ocean. faint of heart. Divers that venture eral of the dive sites and are a manta rays and . The fish Accessible only by liveaboard here should be comfortable with major attraction for viewing sharks. life here is incredibly abundant dive boat, this remote island their buoyancy in blue water and Successful interactions at cleaning and the main reason these apex requires a 32- to predators are so prevalent. 36-hour transit Sightings of jacks and snappers across potentially in schools that block out the sun angry seas for the are routine. The ample marine privilege of diving life surrounding Cocos Island this holy grail of pelagic encounters. Once in the water, the currents can be fierce and more than once I had to Island and does not exist on any pull myself down other island in the Eastern Pacific the mooring line just Ocean. Of the four mountain to get to a dive site. peaks on the island, the highest is The majority of Cerro Iglesias at 2,080 ft (634m). the diving is deep, The mountainous landscape and taking place abundant rainfall creates doz- between 60 to 90 ens of waterfalls, which drain off feet and nitrox is every side of the island. recommended for extra bottom time. Rich marine life Rebreathers are Cocos is perhaps best known for also very useful if its sharks, with hundreds of school- available and you

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Massive school of bigeye jacks (left) form swirl- ing tornado over 60 feet high at Dirty Rock; Commerson’s frogfish (above) at Manuelita Channel; (lower left) resting under overhang, surrounded by Pacific creolefish

held my underwater swim-throughs filled collective with fish, marbled rays and breath, whitetip reef sharks to explore. at least Rocky reefs are teaming with life a dozen including spiny lobster, octopus, barberfish urchins, sea stars and numerous swooped in to clean off para- reef fish. Sea turtles cruise past sites and bits of dead skin. Just as in the blue water, and huge the hammerhead began to turn schools of fish appear without away, I managed to capture a warning, often swimming circles photo documenting this classic around you or swirling into a cleaning station behavior. gigantic underwater tornado. If Not all diving at Cocos Island you are lucky, you may also find involves lying in wait at clean- an endemic Coco’s batfish or ing stations. There are several orange Commerson’s frogfish.

stations require a collaborative pieces to fall into place, and it group effort. Divers need to hide only takes one diver swimming amongst the rocks, doing their up in the water column or worse, best to control their breathing swimming through the cleaning and wait patiently for the sharks station to keep the sharks away. to come in close to be cleaned I experienced idyllic conditions by the lingering angel and bar- at Alcyone dive site while watch- berfish. Most cleaning stations ing a scalloped hammerhead are at 90 to 100 feet, limiting the approach out of the blue and amount of dive time for all the swim directly towards me. As I Spotted eagle ray (left) at Submerged Rock; Waterfall (above) cascading off Cocos Island in the rainy season

23 X-RAY MAG : 54 : 2013 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO Whitetip reef shark resting on the rocky travel reef during the day Cocos Island

Whitetip reef sharks (Triaen- odon obesus) pack hunt- ing at night; Marbled ray (Taeniura meyeri) resting on rocky reef (right)

Whitetip reef sharks by the dozens once a black jack has For the truly adventurous, a night dive crunched down on a fish. with the whitetip reef sharks at Manuelita The action takes place mere inches © Wayne Levin dive site is a must. Dropping into the above the , and it is truly a water after the setting sun, I switched sight to behold, as dozens of sharks pack on my dive light and tried to remember hunt directly beneath you. I was tempt- the dive master’s instructions. We were ed to get down on their level and expe- to stay as a group, using our flashlights in rience the rush, as they swarm past, but unison, highlighting a particular reef fish we had been warned about becoming in hopes that we attracted the larger prey ourselves, and so I stayed slightly black jack fish to feed. above the fray. Black jacks are efficient hunters, fast From experience, I have learned that and maneuverable, and the whitetip it is also prudent to look behind yourself reef sharks follow them, as they hunt at once in a while, as you float along in night in search of food. It turns out the total darkness, just in case one of the sharks are not very good at hunting on larger species of sharks, which you were their own, but they have more success so eager to see during the day, comes searching for food when they rush in to investigate the commotion at night. DEEP DOWN YOU WANT THE BEST scubapro.com Tails of several resting whitetip reef sharks poke out of a hole in the rocky reef

24 X-RAY MAG : 54 : 2013 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO travel Cocos Island a short walk to the back of the mother ship, Argo, and a simple step into the cockpit while DeepSee floated on the surface in her protective U-shaped cut- out of the hull. The submarine is unique in that it can operate as a boat on the surface and a sub underneath, but for longer surface journeys the support boat, TopSee, tows DeepSee out to the intended dive site. A second pilot on board TopSee helps to guide the sub- marine during the dive and communi-

DeepSee submarine venting air bubbles to control its buoyancy, as it resur- faces (left), and docking with its transport, the mother ship, Argo, (above); From the sub, a grouper is spotted along a wall at 600-1,000ft (right)

left simply to marvel at the 360-degree outfitted with an official views of the pelagic passers by that wan- cotton jumpsuit (imag- dered over for a curious look. ine a cooler version of The DeepSee submarine holds two The Life Aquatic uni- passengers and a pilot and is capable form, but without the of diving to depths of 1,500 feet (450m). hats) and comfy socks Created by Avi Klapfer, the founder of to protect the bottom the Undersea Hunter Fleet, and Steve half of the sphere from Drogin, real estate developer and pas- scratches. Then it was sionate underwater photographer, DeepSee required three years of design and development in order for their vision to become reality. Manufactured in San Diego, the sub- marine first began diving at Cocos Island in 2006. DeepSee is fully outfitted for sci- entific exploration with an articulated, manipulator arm capable of sample collection and instrument retrieval. It is also outfitted with an external HD video DeepSee submarine As we dipped below the surface, the camera, digital still cameras and an Another exhilarating way to see the confines of the sub melted away, and assortment of 8 HID lights. In addition, undersea world at Cocos is in a subma- it was as if I was now part of my ocean passengers are able to use their own still rine. Locked securely inside a four-inch surroundings. The optically corrected and video cameras from inside the sub- thick acrylic sphere, I took the plunge sphere had a refractive index that nearly marine. and embarked on one of the most matched the water, and it disappeared The adventure started with a pre-dive amazing experiences of my trip—a from view once fully submerged. As the briefing covering the functions of the dive down to 1,000 feet on board the submarine descended, I lost all perspec- submarine, safety procedures and the DeepSee submarine. tive of depth in the blue water and was dive parameters. Next, passengers were Support boat, TopSee, approaches DeepSee submarine, before towing to dive site

25 X-RAY MAG : 54 : 2013 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO travel Cocos Island did not get to see a . This deep- water species is often encountered on The Wall at depths below 800 feet. As our journey back to the surface began, we were treated to a school of tuna swimming overhead, followed by several Galapagos sharks in silhouette against the faint daylight above. It was a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity, and I was sad to see it come to an end. Fortunately, there were many more epic diving adventures around Cocos Island, and I looked forward to getting back in the water. Island life Cocos Island is covered in lush greenery, trop- ical forests, mountains and waterfalls. It is per- haps the most beautifully, rugged landscape I have ever seen. Park rangers give presentations on the

cations are maintained photo courtesty of DeepSee, Undersea Hunter Group between the surface and LEFT TO RIGHT: Prickly shark; The bottom-dwell- the sub at all times. ing, deep sea jellynose fish; View from inside As we reached the DeepSee submarine of two Galapagos sharks sea floor nearly 600 feet overhead at nearly 600 feet; down, the precise hover with rainbow runner fish at Dirty Rock (below) and maneuvering capa- bilities of DeepSee were put on full display. Eight electric thrusters, which move the submarine up photo courtesy of DeepSee, Undersea Hunter Group and down, forward and back and horizontally left and right, controlled the propulsion. Our pilot guided us over the sandy bottom to the edge of a sheer, verti- cal drop called The Wall. Here several mobula rays, feeding in the deep ocean currents, soared above us, as we peered down into the abyss. Breaking our gaze, DeepSee deftly piv- oted to face the wall, and we began our exploration down to 1,000 feet. No sunlight reaches these depths, and the creatures down here have all adapted to living in total darkness. Hiding in the crevices, we saw colorful anthias, several species of crabs, grou- pers slowly hunting in our lights and the bizarre looking jellynose fish. Sadly, we School of Moorish idols on reef, with a school of Pacific creolefish overhead

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Whitetip reef sharks (left) near a cleaning station at Alcyone; Common (above) porpoising across Pacific Ocean at twilight; Red-footed booby soars with rainbow over Cocos (right); Mantled howler monkey feeding in the trees, Ocotal, Guanacaste (lower right); Yellow trumpetfish on reef at Submerged Rock (below)

island’s history, ecosystem, topog- on deck. Bring a good Save me a spot raphy, World Heritage Site status book and take advan- at the cleaning station and their efforts to protect its wild- tage of the opportuni- I now understand why people life both above and below the ty to make some new revisit Cocos Island again and surface. Land tours are possible friends. again. The big animal encounters with coordination by the rang- are awe-inspiring, and the rush ers and offer a great chance to Costa Rica one feels underwater is addictive. explore this tropical oasis. I would highly recom- I can still picture the fleeting The routine while on the livea- mend including a glimpse I had on my last day of board boat includes three to four mainland Costa Rican diving at Dirty Rock, as the doz- dives daily, with meals and snacks side trip to your Cocos ens of hammerheads in silhouette in between. Surface intervals are Island adventure. overhead faded into the blue spent prepping camera gear, There is something for long before I could even bring exploring the island’s coastline by any outdoor enthusiast, and the ing and , while the the camera up to my eye, or the skiff when available and relaxing Costa Rican people are incred- Caribbean coast boasts gorgeous anticipation I felt on the skiff, as ibly warm and tropical beaches. we scrambled to get back to friendly. Costa Rica is world-renowned the mother ship amidst cries of Costa Rica for its birdwatching and but- “! Whale shark!” over DeepSee submarine and offers a wide terflies, including numerous spe- the radio, only to arrive just as DivEncounters Alliance array of tourist cies of hummingbirds. Walking the rest of the divers and crew (Divencounters.com), activities, and tours are available in both the members climbed back out of and Blue Abyss Photo the country has tropical rain and cloud forests. the water, stating that we had just (Blueabyssphoto.com). a diverse geog- For the more adventurous, there missed her. raphy including are canopy tours and ziplining I know that I will return to Cocos Matthew Meier is a mountains, vol- excursions. The areas around the Island one day and hope that professional underwa- canoes, tropi- volcanoes offer secluded resorts, you too get the chance to experi- ter photographer and cal rain forests, yoga retreats and mineral hot ence this magical place. ■ dive writer based in San cloud forests springs. Whatever you choose, Diego, California. To see and beaches. your Cocos Island experience will The author extends special thanks more of his work and to The Pacific be enriched with the extra time to the Undersea Hunter Group order photo prints, please coastline offers spent. (Underseahunter.com), the crew visit: Matthewmeierphoto. world-class surf- of the Argo, the crew of the com Green iguana, Isle San Jose

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Language Spanish Driving Vehicles travel on the (official); English is right side of the road. If you rent a fact file widely spoken. car, you may use your home driv- Cocos Island, Costa Rica er’s license or apply for an inter- Voltage 110 national one. The main roads are volts, with U.S. in good shape and well paved. RIGHT: Global map standard 2- and with location of Cocos 3-prong plugs. Decompression chamber Island off Costa Rica The nearest hyperbaric chamber BELOW: Map of Costa Rica Cuisine A is located on the mainland in the staple of Costa capital city of San Jose. There are History Early in the 16th century, are over 100 volcanic NICARAGUA Rica cuisine is no chamber facilities on Cocos. Spain explored and attempted cones, several of which black beans and to colonize Costa Rica, but was are major volcanoes. rice (gallo pinto). It Travel/Visa Valid passport thwarted by several factors Cocos Island is located Rio San Juan is often served with required. Visas not required for including disease from mosquitos, roughly 340mi (550km) Caribbean fish, poultry or meat most U.S., Canadian, E.U. and extreme heat, pirate raids and west of Costa Rica in the Liberia Sea and usually accompanies Japanese citizens. Departure tax resistance by natives. Eventually, Eastern Pacific Ocean. eggs for breakfast. The food is US$29. in 1563 in the cooler, fertile cen- It is accessible only by cia . gov is generally quite healthy and Juan Santamaria International tral highlands, a permanent settle- liveaboard dive boats Puerto often served with fruit and/or veg- Airport (SJO) in San Jose is the Alajuela Volcán Limón ment in Cartago was established and requires a 32- to Irazú remained at about etables. Portions are modest, and most convenient for travel to and remained a colony for over 36-hour transit to reach Caldera SAN Cartago 20-25% for almost two lunch is typically the largest meal Cocos Island. The liveaboard dive 250 years. Declaring independ- its isolated location. JOSÉ Cerro decades, with an erod- of the day. boats typically provide shuttles ence in 1821, Costa Rica was one Chimpó ing social safety net due from San Jose to Puntarenas, of several Central American prov- Climate Cocos Island San Isidro to decreases in spend- Tipping Tipping is customary. where guests board the boats for inces joining forces to do so. After receives an annual aver- ing as the government A10% service fee is often added their long transit over to the island. a brief integration with the United age rainfall of over 25ft NORTH tightens its belt. Other at higher end restaurants. Tip Provinces of Central America, (7.6m) and it rains every PACIFIC PANAMA challenges facing the an additional 10% for excep- Web sites a federation which fell apart in month of the year. It is OCEAN current government tional service. Shuttle drivers, dive Costa Rica Tourism 1838, Costa Rica established its less rainy from January include increasing legal guides and boat crewmembers www.visitcostarica.com independent sovereignty. Later in to March and again and illegal immigration are typically tipped at least 10%. Sources: U.S. cia world factbook the 19th century, two brief peri- from late September of mostly unskilled labor underseahunter.com, wikipedia.org ods of violent conflict challenged to October. The raini- from Nicaragua, which is the developing democracy of est season is from July to early bananas, sugar, coffee and beef weighing down the social welfare the nation. The country’s armed September. The air temperature is remain the staple exports, while system, and impediments in pass- forces was disbanded in 1949. consistently between 75°F – 86°F expansion into various industrial ing needed fiscal reform. Agriculture remains the largest (24°C – 30°C) and the climate is and specialized agricultural prod- economic sector, but tourism and tropical and humid. Water tem- ucts is broadening trade. In addi- Currency Costa Rican colo- technology are quickly moving peratures at Cocos Island are on tion, microchips and other high nes (CRC). U.S. dollars and inter- up. Costa Ricans enjoy a rela- average 79°F – 84°F (26°C – 29°C) value added goods and services national credit cards are widely tively high standard of living and and will dip a few degrees cooler bolster exports further. Tourism is accepted. Exchange rates: ownership of land is widespread. below the odd thermocline. A still a big player in fostering for- 1EUR=643CRC; 1USD=500CRC; Government: Democratic repub- 3–5mm wetsuit is recommended eign exchange, and ecotourism 1GBP=757CRC; 1AUD=524CRC lic. Capital: San Jose for diving. is promoting Costa Rica, with its immense biodiversity, as a key Population 4,695,942 (July Geography Costa Rica is Economy Before the global destination. Costa Rica’s political 2013 est.) Ethnic groups: white located in Central America, bor- economic crisis in 2007-8, Costa stability, free trade zone incen- (and mestizo) 94%, black 3%, dering both the North Pacific Rica enjoyed steady economic tives, and relative high education Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%. Ocean and the Caribbean growth. In 2009, the economy of its people continues to attract Religions: Roman Catholic 76.3%, Sea, between Panama and contracted 1.3% only to resume some of the highest foreign Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah’s Nicaragua. Rugged mountains yearly growth of around 4.5% in investment per capita in Latin Witnesses 1.3%, Protestant 0.7%. separate coastal plains. There 2010-12. Agricultural exports like America. Even so poverty has Internet users: 1.485 million (2009) Massive, polarized school of bigeye jacks in blue water at Dirty Rock

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