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More Diving in Costa Rica
If you are going to Cocos Island, leave a week earlier or stay some time afterwards to go diving off the coast of Costa Rica. There is interesting diving on the Westcoast of the country and also in the south on Drake Bay.
We dived the Catalinas and Bat islands, a group of rocky islands off Playa Hermosa. The visibility is not always the best but the diving can be very rewarding. We saw manta rays and a group of what must have been hundreds of cow nosed rays on our very first dive, it was great! The best months for diving the Catalina Islands are December through April, schools of Manta rays with wing spans from 14 ft. to 20 ft. have been seen along with numerous white tip sharks and an occasional bull or tiger sharks. This site is also known for the large schools of jacks, mobula rays and cow-nosed rays. The Catalina Islands are considered a slightly more advanced dive due to stronger currents and surge.
The Bat Islands are famous for the ever present varieties of larger schooling fish: rainbow runners, horse-eye jacks, spade fish, pompano, snapper and wahoo. This is a challenging dive, but well worth the extra effort.
Water temperature from mid-May to mid-December is generally from 75°-78° at depth and a polartec or 3mm suit are usually sufficient. From mid-December to mid-April, water temperatures vary from day to day, with thermoclines causing temperatures to dip to 70° at depth so you will want to bring a full 3mm suit during this period (5 mm if you are easily chilled). Outside temperature at the beaches is 85° to 90° year round.
We dove with Bill Beards Safaris in Playa Hermosa. This operation is run by a friendly couple from the US. The dive shop is right by the beach and there are a number of nearby accommodations to choose from. Visit their site...
Both Playa Hermosa, Playa Coco and Playa Ocotal are relaxing villages to hang out in. There are lots of Americans living here it seems. Lay on the beach or better yet, rent a car (but be careful of the potholes!) and go exploring this gorgeous country.
Visit Costa Rica's only live volcanoes: Arenal. This volcano still smokes and spits fire quite often and this is an interesting site to watch for a few hours. Nearby you'll find the Tabacon hotsprings to relax your limbs after a good days hiking or river rafing trip.
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Trip of the Month > Red
Sea | Tubbatha reefs
A week of diving in Cocos Island, Costa Rica on the M/V Okeanos Aggressor.
The large and very well crewed M/V Okeanos Aggressor
Remote Cocos Island lies 375 miles off the coast of Costa Rica and is famous for its shark populations. Captained by Alberto, a very enthusiastic instructor and dive master, the Okeanos Aggressor offers excellent service and thrilling diving.
After a 36 hour journey from Punta Arenas you wake up to find the birds of the island visiting the ship as if to wake you up and start diving. And that is exactly what you'll do four times a day.
Practically there isn't much to prepare. Just sign up for a trip and make sure you are in San Jose the day before departure. Both American Airlines and Continental serve San Jose daily via Miami or Houston. An Okeanos representative will shuttle you from your hotel to the boat and then the adventure begins.
 Currents
can be very strong so this isn't a destination for beginner divers. Bring an underwater camera though, you're guaranteed to come back with
excellent shots. You might also consider putting a so called "reef hook" in your dive bag. This device which consists of a fish hook
off which the sharp edge has been removed and is attached to a thin rope. Divers in Cocos island use this to attach themselves to the reef
while watching the sharks swim by. It also comes in pretty handy if you are a photo/videographer and don't have a hand to spare to hold
on. A 5mm wetsuit is perfect for these waters but you might want to bring a hood as well to keep you warm, you'll be doing A LOT of diving.
Gloves are essential as you need to grab the reef and ropes at times to get to (and stay on) the site. We also recommend a safety sausages
for additional visibility as waves are high sometimes and the current might take you away from your group.
There is Nitrox on board and you can take the course on the Okeanos if you need to get certified. You can learn how to dive a rebreather
during the week although we don't recommend it. Most sites have strong currents and this is not the most ideal of circumstances to learn in.
The dive sites are diverse and there is always something to see. If it isn't the famous schools of hammerheads, its lots of silver tip sharks and marble rays. You see them everywhere. The dive isn't over until you get back in the dinghy, we saw manta rays, and mobulas on several safety stops. You will also encounter eagle rays, turtles, moray eels and if you look very carefully the occasional stonefish.
The food is great, the crew ever so helpful and friendly and the boat never feels crowded. It is the largest one operating in Cocos Island. If you're not diving there's always an interesting excursion to the island. Cocos is a nature reserve and there are no inhabitants on the island except for a ranger/research station that you are very welcome to visit. When time permits take a hike to the waterfall.
To get more information on the Okeanos Aggressor, visit their Website...
More on diving in Cocos Island
More on diving in Costa Rica
Cocos Island and the Halls, interview...
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