CocosCosta Rica’s Island — An Epic Pelagic Adventure Text and photos by Matthew Meier 20 X-RAY MAG : 54 : 2013 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO travel Cocos Island Scalloped hammerhead shark (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 tiger shark pho- 2002. Legend states that over the years, the resident tiger sharks, 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 Costa Rica 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) 21 X-RAY MAG : 54 : 2013 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO travel Cocos CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT: Scalloped hammerhead shark 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 dolphins. 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 22 X-RAY MAG : 54 : 2013 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO travel Cocos Island Massive school of bigeye jacks (left) form swirl- ing tornado over 60 feet high at Dirty Rock; Commerson’s frogfish (above) at Manuelita Channel; Whitetip reef shark (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 coral reef, 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.