2009 Diving Conditions Cocos Island

[Adventurenut]

Hello All:

Heard recently in Undercurrent that Taiwanese trawlers illegally harvested most of the sharks around and near Cocos Island, degrading the diving severely. Has anyone been diving there recently? Better yet, anyone been diving there recently who has previously dived there prior to the Taiwanese coming?
Thanks,
Adventurenut

 

[Eau_Girl]

Adventrenut,

The illegal fishing round Cocos has and is likely to continue to be a problem. There has been press coverage of it such as in Undercurrent. At the end of last year CNN's Planet in Peril series also covered it.

I was there in Dec 2008 on the Sea Hunter. We had some great diving and saw lots of sharks (even though it isn't the peak season).

Take a look at some of the recent reports (NTSilver has some good trip reports as do others). You'll see that the diving is still good.

 

[Adventurenut]

Eau Girl:
Thanks for the reply, I'm thinking of going there again next year but did not want to if all is gone. Appreciate your input.

 

[fairybasslet]

I'm going in July. I hope to see hundreds of schooling hammerheads and a sunken Taiwanese boat.

 

[Eau_Girl]

I'm going in July. I hope to see hundreds of schooling hammerheads and a sunken Taiwanese boat.

That's peak season -- You'll have a great time! Which boat are you on? (clearly not a Taiwanese boat!)

I hope to make it back again in the next year.

 

[fairybasslet]

The Argo. It's a new boat. I have wanted to go to Cocos for years. Finally...it's amost here.

 

[Eau_Girl]

I was on Sea Hunter (who owns the Argo as well). We were moored next to the Argo when we came back into port. Looks like great boat. The Undersea Hunter Group run an excellent operation.

Enjoy the shark encounters when you are there! And post a report when you get back.

 

[fairybasslet]

Did you take photos? I'm wondering what kind of settings to use to take shots of the schooling hammers with, hopefully, a sunball.

 

[Eau_Girl]

Did you take photos? I'm wondering what kind of settings to use to take shots of the schooling hammers with, hopefully, a sunball.

No I haven't gotten serious about UW photography yet! I want to get a few hundred more dives under my belt first. Plus I need to find a regular buddy who will put up with a photographer.

However, I am sure you are likely to find some very experience photographers/videographers on your trip. I've never seen so many cameras and housings in a single place as I saw on that trip. They tended to share info/tips with each other.

Sorry I can't be more help on this one!

You've probably followed some of the other threads on Cocos, but my advice is take a pair of gloves (you will need to hold onto rocks, a hood and an extra layer (e.g., thermal top) if you tend to get cold. You'll spend time at depth (30m+) sitting behind rocks waiting for the hammerheads to come by. So it can get chilly after time at depth! Also take a good pair of walking/hiking shoes if you want to go onto the island and hike to the waterfalls. It can be muddy and slippery. I opted to dive instead of doing the hike, but the hikers came back with very muddy shoes.

 

[fairybasslet]

Thanks for the tips. It sounds very similar to Galapagos.