Cocos Island (Costa Rica) Liveaboards

If you’re a shark-lover and an experienced diver, you’ve probably heard of Cocos Island in Costa Rica. It’s on most divers’ bucket lists because of its amazing scenery and its even more amazing diving. (If it wasn’t already on yours, it’s about to be!).

Home to big marine life, carpets of colorful corals, and many other exciting underwater surprises. Liveaboard diving at Cocos Island is a vacation that dreams are made of

Pelagic abundance
Best time to go: June - December
Why this one
1. There is no other place on earth where you will see such massive schools of hammerhead sharks that are coming in hundreds! Their appearance attracts adventurous divers to be a part of this performance even in the most challenging diving conditions
2. Rich nutritive currents during a rainy season from June to late November bring up to the table tonnes of plankton. So giant filter feeders are not being late in coming, gracious Manta Rays and majestic Whale Sharks are frequent visitors here
3. The shark and other pelagics action doesn't stop here. The ocean is filled by many other species of rays (mobula, marble and eagle rays) as well as other sharks like tiger, Galapagos, blacktip, silvertip and whitetip reef sharks, silky and guitar sharks
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Undersea Hunter Group: Argo, Sea Hunter
Best time to go: June - December
Why this one
1. Have you ever dreamed of a submarine expedition? The DeepSee submersible is an important feature of this fleet
2. Offering high-class services, the three vessels meet different budgets
3. The smart design of liveaboards keeps them from swaying, which makes them extremely comfortable, even for those with motion sickness
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Okeanos Aggressor I & Okeanos Aggressor II (Wind Dancer)
Best time to go: June - December
Why this one
1. When it comes to Aggressor liveaboards, it's all about service
2. The only fleet offering other directions and different duration diving trips in Costa Rica. Do not miss a trip to Cano Island
3. Keep an eye on special offers? Aggressor won't make you wait for a long, the fleet often pleases its customers with discounts
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Reviews about Cocos Island (Costa Rica) Liveaboards

Argo LiveaboardUndersea Hunter Group, 1 review

9.75

absolutely superb crew & the best experience!

I just finished my Argo liveaboard in Cocos with what has to be one of the best crews! I filled out the survey on board but wanted to send an additional email to recognize the incredible staff/crew you have employed.

I went into this experience with an open mind and wasn’t sure what to except. I was beyond impressed with my entire experience with Argo. Your Crew is hands down the most professional and accommodating staff I’ve ever had the pleasure to be served by. Each and every one of them went above and beyond to make the guests feel welcome and comfortable.

Manuel was truly a wonderful cruise director. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who is more kind, considerate, helpful, informative and super knowledgeable about everything Cocos. Additional he was my instructor to get nitrox certified and may I say he was a pleasure to work with. Manuel explained everything and walked me through everything I didn’t understand. His professionalism & sense of humor was something myself and the guests looked forward to everyday. Also, I would like to say that I absolutely LOVED that he had us celebrate Christmas. It was so special to be on the dive bought and decorate and do a little inexpensive gift exchange. It was heart warming and something that made this trip all the more special.

Stefan (Shtefan) was our dive master for the first few days. I cannot compliment him enough on how professional, considerate and fun he was! He gave us very thorough briefings before each dive which were very helpful and he always made sure he checked on each of us during he dive. I felt safe the whole time and believe I saw so much more of the marine life thanks to his experience and dedication to giving us the best dives. He also made it a point to spend time with the passengers to see how their experience was going while we were in Cocos. Stefan is a true professional and I hope to be lucky enough to get another dive master like this on my future liveaboards.

Chako was sincerely one of the most thoughtful crew members. He ALWAYS went above and beyond to accommodate the guests and make us feel at home. He truly went out of his way the entire time. Such a nice person and professional staff member. He would come looking for us when the meals were served to make sure everyone was fed and happy. He did an excellent job of keeping the common areas clean and tidy as well as the rooms.

Overall my experience was wonderful and I look forward to my next liveaboard sometime in the future and hope I’m lucky enough to get a crew this awesome.

Thank you & Happy New Year!

Cheers,

Robyn Russo

Suggestions:
Masseuse on board might be a nice touch .
The room upstairs with the bunk bed was way too tight for 2 people. I would “warn” your guests before you book them in there. I wound up having to switch my room.
If it’s possible- maybe a ceiling fan in the main cabin area. It gets warm when everyone is there even with the air on.
Better pillows

Russo Robyn2019-01-07

Okeanos Aggressor II LiveaboardAggressor Fleet, 1 review

Small cabins but very large hearts and top quality service

A great 10 day trip with Capt Carlos and his team. Although the cabin size was amongst the smallest I have experienced, the crew, food and overall experience was superb, which meant the cabins became a minor inconvenience.

Grice Mary2018-07-16

Sea Hunter LiveaboardUndersea Hunter Group, 49 reviews

Trip of a lifetime

The experience exceeded expectations. Top-notch operation, a great combination of Customer Service and safety. Fabulous crew, each doing their part to ensure a memorable trip.

Orozco Andres2017-09-19

Questions and Answers

How do you get to Cocos Island, Costa Rica?

Cocos Island is 350 miles (563km) off-shore in the Pacific ocean. It is uninhabited, there are no hotels and no one is allowed to stay on the island overnight, so the only way to visit it is by boat. This makes it the perfect spot for a Costa Rica liveaboard trip!

We recommend arriving at the Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) and spending the night in one of San José’s many hotels, before embarking on your Cocos Island diving liveaboard the next day from Puntarenas port.

From Puntarenas port, it is around 36hours by boat to get to Cocos Island, but the long journey is more than worth it if you love shark diving!

What you need to know about the Cocos Island liveaboard diving

Cocos Island rises to an elevation of 2,800 ft (853m) above sea level. It is a national park and was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1997 because of its picturesque scenery. It is around 5 miles (8km) long and 3 miles (4km) wide.

Jacques Cousteau once described Cocos as “the most beautiful island in the world” and even included it in his list of top ten dive sites in the whole world! ...And It’s not hard to see why; as you approach Cocos island you will be stunned by its sparkling, turquoise waters, jungle-covered mountains and impressive waterfalls (that you may recognise from the original Jurassic Park movie!).

It’s beauty above the water is matched only by what you’ll see under the waves, fringing reef that wraps all the way around the island, offering divers pinnacles, exquisite corals and an abundance of marine life to marvel at.

Diving in Cocos Island is most famous for its large number of hammerhead sharks; people come from all over the world to try to see them. But in case you need more reason than that to book a trip and start packing your dive bag, you’d also be in with a very good chance of seeing whitetip, blacktip, silky, hammerheads, galapagos and bull sharks, as well as turtles, tuna, dolphins and various types of rays.

There are over 20 dive sites around Cocos Island, they are all unique and offer different diving treats. But, to give you an idea of what to expect from your Cocos Island liveaboard diving, here are our top 3:

Bajo Alcyone: We think everyone who’s been here will agree that Bajo Alcyone has to be the best dive site around Cocos. It’s the number one place for spotting hammerheads (sometimes in their hundreds). The average depth is around 114ft (35m) and strong currents are to be expected.
Punta Maria: An underwater mountain and a cleaning station that attracts galapagos and hammerhead sharks, as well as much more marine life. The maximum depth is around 80-120ft (24-36m). Expect medium/strong currents and good visibility.
Isla Manuelita: This dive has it all; rays, sharks, turtles, and various big fish. The average depth is around 66ft (20m). Isla Manuelita dive site usually has medium currents, making for a peaceful, stress-free drift.

Because of strong currents and deeper dive sites, a Cocos Island liveaboard is recommended for advanced divers only. This guarantees smaller groups of serious and experienced divers, making the dive sites peaceful and uncrowded. Getting some experience with drift diving would be beneficial before heading to Cocos because of the currents.

As mentioned earlier, you will be on the boat for a long time, so if you’re prone to seasickness, it would be a good idea to stock up on some medication for the journey, just in case

When is the best time to go to Cocos Island on a Liveaboard Diving trip?

So, now you’re daydreaming about hammerheads and pretty corals and you’re thinking of booking a Cocos Island, Costa Rica liveaboard trip ...But you’re not sure when to go. Don’t worry, we can help you decide:

The water temperature in Cocos Island range between 75-84°F (24-29°C) year-round, with the temperature outside of the water staying around 82-86°F (28-30°C).

The dry season is between December and May, promising calmer seas and generally better visibility - up to 89ft (30m). This is a good time for spotting dolphins and silky sharks.

However, most divers prefer to go between June - November (the rainy season), as the nutrient up-swells at this time attract manta rays and whale sharks. This does mean though, that the seas are a little choppier and visibility can drop to around 33-82ft (10-25m).

The rainy season is said to attract more Hammerhead sharks, however, they can be spotted in large numbers year-round so this doesn’t have to be a deciding factor.

Although water temperatures are quite comfortable whenever you decide to go, there are always thermoclines, where the temperature can drop quite dramatically. For this reason, we recommend a 5mm wetsuit, with a hood if you have one.

In summary, it’s down to personal preference for when is the best time to visit Costa Rica for a Cocos liveaboard trip. If you like calm seas and good visibility then the dry season is for you. If you’re hoping to spot big marine life and don’t mind a bit of chop, head there between June and November