COCOS ISLANDCocos Island.Probably one of the most famous places you've never heard of. - - - One of Costa Rica's Seven Natural Wonders - - - A UNESCO World Heritage Site - - - One of the World's Natural Wonders - - - So many sharks it's called Shark Island - - - Jacque Cousteau: "most beautiful island in the world" - - - Robert Lewis Stevenson's Treasure Island - - - Jurassic Park And, one of the most unique vacations in Costa Rica.
Seamounts Marine Management AreaCousteau's description of Cocos Island referred to the waters and seamounts surrounding the little island.
A seamount is an underwater mountain that doesn't breach the surface, typically formed by an extinct volcano. Cocos, itself, like many islands, was formed by a volcano but, unlike its submarine neighbors, it burst to the surface about 330 miles from the western coast of Costa Rica---and nearly halfway to the Galapagos Islands.Seamounts attract an abundance of plankton, fish, marine mammals, and modern-day commercial fishing practices like bottom trawling that have nearly depleted entire species and cause extensive environmental damage. Years ago, Costa Rica declared Cocos and 200,000 hectares (772 square miles) around it a national park and a fully protected non-fishing zone. Historic at the time. But. . .nothing like the history Costa Rica made in March 2011 when it created the Seamounts Marine Management Area to improve the conservation of this unique oceanic island, conserve an entire marine ecosystem, and protect a group of seamounts southwest of the island. By presidential decree, Costa Rica President Laura Chinchilla expanded the protected area to a million hectares (3,860 square miles), an area larger than Yellowstone National Park and the second largest marine protected area in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (only the Galapagos is larger). Make no mistake. Creation of this oasis is a big deal. In a world where modern fishing technology has depleted many species of fish and sea turtles by 80-90% in only a few decades, this protected area offers hope in this marine ecosystem and perhaps a guide to future world efforts to preserve the planet, and was the culmination of years of work involving invaluable scientific and management contributions of the Cocos National Park Administration, the University of Costa Rica’s Center for Marine Investigations, Pretoma, Marviva, and
Forever Costa Rica.
Cocos Island PiratesLong before it tickled the imagination of Robert Lewis Stevenson, Cocos Island hosted real pirates, like the English sea captain who turned pirate, William Thompson, who buried the fabulous Treasure of Lima. Real or legend? Can't tell you but I have a real pirate's map!And, for a real swashbuckler, you'd have to go a long way to beat Benito "Bloody Sword" Bonito, another English Captain. This ruthless cutthroat's pirate career began when he stole His Majesty's Ship, continued until he was hanged, but not before he plundered a vast fortune, the Devonshire Treasure. And, like the Lima Treasure, this pirate booty lies somewhere on the island. Many have tried, none of found either. Maybe you'll have better luck on your Costa Rica vacation.
Costa Rica Scuba Diving: CocosRated as one of the ten best places in the world for viewing large marine animals, Cocos scuba diving is a once-in-a-lifetime underwater adventure for experienced scuba divers who are willing to take a ten day vacation aboard a live-aboard boat (it takes three days to and from the island).If you're a serious diver, I've located the dive spots on this Costa Rica map (map 13) More About Shark IslandIf you want to learn more about this Seventh Wonder of Costa Rica, check out some of these pages:Tagging Cocos Island Sea Turtles Shark Finning
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