Cost Rica
When we booked our trip to Costa Rica and Cocos Island we knew we where in for an adventure but the reality far exceeded our expectations. Tropical, exotic, exciting, and incredible hardly do this country justice. Cocos Island is prehistoric, verdant, raw and it makes the Hawaiian Islands look like a wasteland. In a one mile stretch we counted 14, +100ft waterfalls along its sheer cliff sides. In two weeks we witnessed nature’s wonders including hammerhead sharks in the hundreds, a whaleshark, humming birds, monkeys, and an active volcano provide providing an astounding light show as we dined on a gourmet dinner.
A special note of appreciation goes to Alan of Undersea Hunter who arranged all our tours and transfers. Thanks to his expertise and planning, everything happened in a flawless manner. The tours were fantastic, the hotels exceeded our expectations and transfers were seamless, (in fact all the drivers were there waiting for us.) We cannot thank Alan enough.
The Undersea Hunter
This is a well known operation with an informative website. Its excellent reputation is well-deserved and we look forward to diving with them again. Once aboard it is the standard live-aboard routine, crew intro, briefing and then set up your gear as you don’t know what the weather will be like on the way out. The boat is comfortable and well designed for its purpose. There were eight crew members and on our trip 12 divers. The salon is comfortable with a flat screen TV and all the associated AV gear. We had cabin #6 with a comfortable double bed and bunk above. There was plenty of room for personal effects. The ride out took 33hrs arriving early in the morning. It was a bit rough and we were happy to have the Scopolamine patches. The meals served were lightly attended as most just rode it out in their cabins.
The Dive Operation
The diving is done from two 24foot pangas. They are stable, roomy, fast and given the sometimes rough weather allowed us to dive spots you could not get to in a zodiac. Once you set up your gear on the Undersea Hunter, the crew moves it to the pangas on arrival at Cocos and that’s were it stays. On the Undersea Hunter you have a seat/locker to store misc dive gear in. There is plenty of room on the rear deck for donning wetsuits along with a fresh water shower and hose for rinsing of gear. As usual, the 1st dive briefing is the standard long CYA but after that they are brief and to the point. One interesting note, they do not enforce a “first drink is your last dive policy” they treat you like an adult but do retain the right to not take you out. The dive guides Edward and Wilson stayed with a team two days then switched so there could be no grumbling about one or the other being better at finding things.
Dives go at 8am, 10:30, 2:30 and 6pm. This is subject to change due to conditions. In fact the Spanish contingent preferred to dive first then eat breakfast, so dive time was moved to 7am, breakfast at 8:30. Due to dive depths, I would say Nitrox is a must. There were a small group that went thru certification on the way out and finished up during their first couple of dives upon arrival. I would strongly suggest doing this prior to departure.
Most dive sites where no more than a 15-20 minute ride. Due to the weather and sometimes low viz, the routine was to gear up just before arriving at the site; roll in, no air in BC, preferably with cameras in hand, drop directly to 60-70fsw, regroup and then head for the 1st cleaning station. I would suggest glove/s for all and for photographers I found the reef hook beneficial at a couple of sites. Most sites have 2-3 cleaning stations. You drop in on the most likely, stay if action is good or move on to the next. Dives 1&2 tended to be in the 70-100fsw range and we found you really had to watch the computer. There is no Deco diving but we regularly pushed the limits of our computers. Of course you can run whatever profile you are comfortable as long as you let the DM know.
The Diving Experience
We purposely choose the rainy season as it is reported to have better Hammerhead action and we were not disappointed. Out of 10 days it rained 70% of the time. With run off from the island, sometimes pounding rain and heavy overcast the viz could really vary from 15-30 ft at some sites to 70ft at others. In general I would give it a hazy 40ft average. Water temps ran a consistent 77 degrees but in some of the thermoclines it would drop to a chilly 65-68. I was very happy in my 5mm suit and glad for the protection it provided hiding among the urchin littered rocks that could have some decent surge as you stalked the hammerheads. Julie who gets chilled in anything less than 80 degrees wore her 7mm with hood and 5mm gloves and booties.
The Hammerhead action started out a little slow then finished with a bang. Of course it always seems the other Team sees the best stuff but in the end it all equals out. Yes they saw a bait ball with dolphins, tuna and black tips going at it but we saw a whaleshark!
Over the course of the week we dove most all of the sites and the reality is you never, never know what to expect. Vaunted sites turn out to be a bust on one dive while others that you have low expectations for produce incredible action! This is a truly an area where you cannot afford to miss a dive. Two members of our group opted out of one dive the whole trip, and of course that is when the whaleshark showed up. Highlights included:
Alcyon: fantastic hammer schools and dozens of white tips sleeping in a pile. Some serious thermo clines and watch your computer. Heavy current requiring descent on anchor line.
Small & Big Dos Amigos: again great schools of hammers and one of the spots you seemed to be able to get a little closer to them. Be prepared for surge. Lots of it.
Silverado: we saw two of the largest sharks we have ever seen. One of the Silvertips was as big as some of the Great Whites we saw in Guadalupe. Viz poor both days. Of course, this is also home to the Red Lip Bat Fish.
Dirty Rock: Incredible schools. Some where so large that I thought we were coming up on another Seamount, as others have said one you are inside the schools you can see nothing else.
Manulita: Of course one of the highlights is the highly touted “White Tip Night Dive” and it completely deserves its star status. An amazing and exhilarating experience. Be prepared to swim and the stronger your light the better.
Of course the highlight of the trip was seeing a Whale Shark, our first. It was at Manuelita Outside and a moment we will never forget. It was so unexpected and such a surprise I almost did not believe what I was seeing swim by. All I could do was dash out of my hiding place screaming WHALE SHARK, WHALE SHARK into my regulator. It took everything I had to keep up with it and in just over a minute I burned thru 1500psi and it was well spent.
For The Photographer
The camera area is well laid out with 110v & 240v charging stations. There is a compressed air line and the shelves for storage of housing and gear are ample but a bit small to store my DSLR with 6ft of strobe arms attached. Hand towels are even provided for drying of housing, ports, etc.
Due to the viz, I mainly used my 17-55 lens, conditions just did not lend themselves to the 10mm or even 12-24. I have to say while the diving was fantastic the photography was frustrating. The main issue is even with the 17-55 on a new D200 I struggled with getting the autofocus to take hold and shoot. Eventually I went to a “Release” setting that resulted in a lot of blurry shots but a few I would have not gotten otherwise. If you can manually focus this would be the way to go. With gray subjects in blue gray, milky water I found out how much I have yet to learn. I typically had to shoot ISO 400-600, shutter speeds in the 60-100 range and f/4.5-8. I learned I need to practice with the camera in a variety of settings in low viz conditions.
In The End
We have had to good fortune to travel some incredible places and without a doubt Costa Rica and Cocos Island vies for the top spot. Nothing I can say or have written here can truly convey what an overwhelming experience we had. This is a destination that has so much to offer and is so wild compared to your typical Caribbean diving it should not be missed. Edward, one of the dive guides, said that currently the Ocean Hunter vessels are booked up for the next two years and now we know why. If you are looking for an adventure book NOW! But, try to keep it a secret….
There is a completed Gallery at my website http://aquabluedreams.com (Galleries II) and check later in the week for a slide show w/video clips (hopefully). An even longer trip report including hotels, land tours, etc (to be posted soon)
When we booked our trip to Costa Rica and Cocos Island we knew we where in for an adventure but the reality far exceeded our expectations. Tropical, exotic, exciting, and incredible hardly do this country justice. Cocos Island is prehistoric, verdant, raw and it makes the Hawaiian Islands look like a wasteland. In a one mile stretch we counted 14, +100ft waterfalls along its sheer cliff sides. In two weeks we witnessed nature’s wonders including hammerhead sharks in the hundreds, a whaleshark, humming birds, monkeys, and an active volcano provide providing an astounding light show as we dined on a gourmet dinner.
A special note of appreciation goes to Alan of Undersea Hunter who arranged all our tours and transfers. Thanks to his expertise and planning, everything happened in a flawless manner. The tours were fantastic, the hotels exceeded our expectations and transfers were seamless, (in fact all the drivers were there waiting for us.) We cannot thank Alan enough.
The Undersea Hunter
This is a well known operation with an informative website. Its excellent reputation is well-deserved and we look forward to diving with them again. Once aboard it is the standard live-aboard routine, crew intro, briefing and then set up your gear as you don’t know what the weather will be like on the way out. The boat is comfortable and well designed for its purpose. There were eight crew members and on our trip 12 divers. The salon is comfortable with a flat screen TV and all the associated AV gear. We had cabin #6 with a comfortable double bed and bunk above. There was plenty of room for personal effects. The ride out took 33hrs arriving early in the morning. It was a bit rough and we were happy to have the Scopolamine patches. The meals served were lightly attended as most just rode it out in their cabins.
The Dive Operation
The diving is done from two 24foot pangas. They are stable, roomy, fast and given the sometimes rough weather allowed us to dive spots you could not get to in a zodiac. Once you set up your gear on the Undersea Hunter, the crew moves it to the pangas on arrival at Cocos and that’s were it stays. On the Undersea Hunter you have a seat/locker to store misc dive gear in. There is plenty of room on the rear deck for donning wetsuits along with a fresh water shower and hose for rinsing of gear. As usual, the 1st dive briefing is the standard long CYA but after that they are brief and to the point. One interesting note, they do not enforce a “first drink is your last dive policy” they treat you like an adult but do retain the right to not take you out. The dive guides Edward and Wilson stayed with a team two days then switched so there could be no grumbling about one or the other being better at finding things.
Dives go at 8am, 10:30, 2:30 and 6pm. This is subject to change due to conditions. In fact the Spanish contingent preferred to dive first then eat breakfast, so dive time was moved to 7am, breakfast at 8:30. Due to dive depths, I would say Nitrox is a must. There were a small group that went thru certification on the way out and finished up during their first couple of dives upon arrival. I would strongly suggest doing this prior to departure.
Most dive sites where no more than a 15-20 minute ride. Due to the weather and sometimes low viz, the routine was to gear up just before arriving at the site; roll in, no air in BC, preferably with cameras in hand, drop directly to 60-70fsw, regroup and then head for the 1st cleaning station. I would suggest glove/s for all and for photographers I found the reef hook beneficial at a couple of sites. Most sites have 2-3 cleaning stations. You drop in on the most likely, stay if action is good or move on to the next. Dives 1&2 tended to be in the 70-100fsw range and we found you really had to watch the computer. There is no Deco diving but we regularly pushed the limits of our computers. Of course you can run whatever profile you are comfortable as long as you let the DM know.
The Diving Experience
We purposely choose the rainy season as it is reported to have better Hammerhead action and we were not disappointed. Out of 10 days it rained 70% of the time. With run off from the island, sometimes pounding rain and heavy overcast the viz could really vary from 15-30 ft at some sites to 70ft at others. In general I would give it a hazy 40ft average. Water temps ran a consistent 77 degrees but in some of the thermoclines it would drop to a chilly 65-68. I was very happy in my 5mm suit and glad for the protection it provided hiding among the urchin littered rocks that could have some decent surge as you stalked the hammerheads. Julie who gets chilled in anything less than 80 degrees wore her 7mm with hood and 5mm gloves and booties.
The Hammerhead action started out a little slow then finished with a bang. Of course it always seems the other Team sees the best stuff but in the end it all equals out. Yes they saw a bait ball with dolphins, tuna and black tips going at it but we saw a whaleshark!
Over the course of the week we dove most all of the sites and the reality is you never, never know what to expect. Vaunted sites turn out to be a bust on one dive while others that you have low expectations for produce incredible action! This is a truly an area where you cannot afford to miss a dive. Two members of our group opted out of one dive the whole trip, and of course that is when the whaleshark showed up. Highlights included:
Alcyon: fantastic hammer schools and dozens of white tips sleeping in a pile. Some serious thermo clines and watch your computer. Heavy current requiring descent on anchor line.
Small & Big Dos Amigos: again great schools of hammers and one of the spots you seemed to be able to get a little closer to them. Be prepared for surge. Lots of it.
Silverado: we saw two of the largest sharks we have ever seen. One of the Silvertips was as big as some of the Great Whites we saw in Guadalupe. Viz poor both days. Of course, this is also home to the Red Lip Bat Fish.
Dirty Rock: Incredible schools. Some where so large that I thought we were coming up on another Seamount, as others have said one you are inside the schools you can see nothing else.
Manulita: Of course one of the highlights is the highly touted “White Tip Night Dive” and it completely deserves its star status. An amazing and exhilarating experience. Be prepared to swim and the stronger your light the better.
Of course the highlight of the trip was seeing a Whale Shark, our first. It was at Manuelita Outside and a moment we will never forget. It was so unexpected and such a surprise I almost did not believe what I was seeing swim by. All I could do was dash out of my hiding place screaming WHALE SHARK, WHALE SHARK into my regulator. It took everything I had to keep up with it and in just over a minute I burned thru 1500psi and it was well spent.
For The Photographer
The camera area is well laid out with 110v & 240v charging stations. There is a compressed air line and the shelves for storage of housing and gear are ample but a bit small to store my DSLR with 6ft of strobe arms attached. Hand towels are even provided for drying of housing, ports, etc.
Due to the viz, I mainly used my 17-55 lens, conditions just did not lend themselves to the 10mm or even 12-24. I have to say while the diving was fantastic the photography was frustrating. The main issue is even with the 17-55 on a new D200 I struggled with getting the autofocus to take hold and shoot. Eventually I went to a “Release” setting that resulted in a lot of blurry shots but a few I would have not gotten otherwise. If you can manually focus this would be the way to go. With gray subjects in blue gray, milky water I found out how much I have yet to learn. I typically had to shoot ISO 400-600, shutter speeds in the 60-100 range and f/4.5-8. I learned I need to practice with the camera in a variety of settings in low viz conditions.
In The End
We have had to good fortune to travel some incredible places and without a doubt Costa Rica and Cocos Island vies for the top spot. Nothing I can say or have written here can truly convey what an overwhelming experience we had. This is a destination that has so much to offer and is so wild compared to your typical Caribbean diving it should not be missed. Edward, one of the dive guides, said that currently the Ocean Hunter vessels are booked up for the next two years and now we know why. If you are looking for an adventure book NOW! But, try to keep it a secret….
There is a completed Gallery at my website http://aquabluedreams.com (Galleries II) and check later in the week for a slide show w/video clips (hopefully). An even longer trip report including hotels, land tours, etc (to be posted soon)
