Costa Rica

Cocos Island

WHS Score 3.85
rate
Votes 4 Average 4.75
Show votes
Votes for Cocos Island

4.0

  • Hanming

5.0

  • Janos
  • Timothy C Easton
  • Zoë Sheng

Cocos Island National Park covers a remote oceanic island primarily known for its marine ecosystem, that is globally significant for sharks.

Situated at a meeting point of major currents, marine species come here for feeding, reproduction and ‘cleaning’ (having parasites removed by specialised fish). The sharks range from the near-threatened Silky and Lemon Shark to the Hammerhead Shark; aggregations of large pelagic fish can also be seen and the area is visited by Blue Whale and Bottlenose Dolphin. The island is covered by a tropical rainforest and a cloud forest, and has three endemic bird species.

Community Perspective: it takes 36 hours of cruising on a live-aboard dive boat to reach. Zoë reports on the excellent diving, without another dive group in sight.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Cocos Island National Park (ID: 820)
Country
Costa Rica
Status
Inscribed 1997 Site history
History of Cocos Island
2002: Extended
Extension of marine zone
1997: Inscribed
Inscribed
1986: Rejected
Does not meet criteria
WHS Type
Natural
Criteria
  • ix
  • x
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Related Resources
News Article
  • Sept. 17, 2020 seaturtles.org — Whale Shark Migrating from Galapagos Island to Cocos Island Documented for First Time
  • Dec. 5, 2017 mirror.co.uk — Tourist dies after being attacked by shark that also bit guide as they emerged from dive
  • Sept. 22, 2015 whc.unesco.org — Jaeger-LeCoultre helps Cocos Island National Park fight poaching
  • March 20, 2014 ticotimes.net — Illegal fishing continues unabated in Isla del Coco NP

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Natural landscape: Marine and Coastal
Travel Information
Takes more than 5 days to visit
Takes more than 5 days to visit
Dive trips take 10 days from/to Puntarenas
Recent Connections
View all (31) .
Connections of Cocos Island
Individual People
  • Cousteau
    "oceanographer Jacques Cousteau visited the island several times and in 1994 called it "the most beautiful island in the world"" (wiki)
Geography
  • Estuary
    "The property harbours a rare and complex mosaic of land and sea environments, including forested mountains, rivers, waterfalls, estuaries, cliffs, sandy and rocky beaches, bays, and extensive and highly diverse coral reefs and pelagic environments." (Official description - Crit ix)
  • Marine sites
    977 sq kms M, 24 sq kms T
  • Uninhabited islands
    Only park rangers
  • Formerly inhabited islands
    August Gissler a German adventurer and treasure hunter was made "Governor" of Cocos Island by the Costa Rican government in 1897. Backed by Financiers who set up the "Cocos Plantation Company" he established a colony there together with "several settler families who also grew tobacco" (Wiki). Unsuccessful he eventually left the island in 1908.
  • Pacific Ocean
Trivia
History
  • Buried treasures
    The Treasure of Lima, en route by ship to Mexico in 1820, was stolen by the captain and his crew and was supposedly buried there. Since then, many searches have failed to discover it!

    See en.wikipedia.org

Ecology
  • Pelicans
    Brown

    See avibase.bsc-eoc.org

  • CMAR
  • Rainforests
  • Sharks
    Galapagos, Hammerhead, Whaleshark, Silky
  • Turtles and tortoises
    Habitat of Hawksbill turtle, Green turtle and Olive Ridley turtle
  • Coral
    "The rich coral reef, volcanic tunnels, caves, massifs and deeper waters surrounding Cocos Island are home to more than 30 species of coral" (wiki)
  • Critically endangered fauna species
    Hawksbill Turtle

    See www.iucnredlist.org

  • Endemic Bird Species
    Cocos Island EBA: Cocos Cuckoo (Coccyzus ferrugineus), Cocos Flycatcher (Nesotriccus ridgwayi), Cocos Finch (Pinaroloxias inornata)
  • Sea Stacks
    Cocos island is surrounded by several islets, some of them like Manuelita island, isla Pájara and "the moais" rise quite abruptly from the sea.

    See www.google.com

  • Fish
    "home to two (endemic species of) freshwater fish...the main species conservation value derives from critical marine habitat and the corresponding role of the property in the conservation of large pelagic species, especially several species of sharks. Among the latter are exceptional aggregations of the near-threatened Silky and Lemon Shark, the vulnerable Bigeye Thresher Shark and Galapagos Shark, the emblematic and endangered Hammerhead Shark, as well as White-tip Reef Shark and Black-tip Shark. Among some 300 recorded fish species are important aggregations of large pelagic fish, such as the vulnerable Whale Shark and Blue Marlin, as well as Sailfish Broadbill Swordfish, Shortbill Spearfish, Giant Manta Ray and Pelagic Stingray." (OUV Statement)
World Heritage Process
Human Activity
  • Piracy
    AB: "The human historical record includes pirates..."
  • Tobacco
    Several settler families who grew tobacco also lived with Gissler on the island.
Constructions
  • Notable Bridges
    Pancho Bridge

    See commons.wikimedia.org

  • Tunnels
    Over the years Gissler dug a complex system of underground tunnels there in his treasure hunting, some of which can still be entered even today.
  • Prison
    AB: "The human historical record includes ... use of the island (1872-1874) as a prison"
WHS on Other Lists
Timeline
  • Pliocene
    An Argon-Potassium radiometric determination established the age of the oldest rocks between 1.91 and 2.44 million years (Late Pliocene). Wiki
Visiting conditions
News
seaturtles.org 09/17/2020
Whale Shark Migrating from Galapag…
mirror.co.uk 12/05/2017
Tourist dies after being attacked …
whc.unesco.org 09/22/2015
Jaeger-LeCoultre helps Cocos Islan…

Community Reviews

Show full reviews
First published: 19/08/22.

Zoë Sheng

Cocos Island

Cocos Island (Inscribed)

Cocos Island by Zoë Sheng

Cocos was my favorite liveaboard until I had dived even better locations after. Just reaching the island is a 36h boat ride from Costa Rica mainland and usually you'd think the boat entertains the visitors for the spare days but with the Aggressor it was just you relaxing with others or on your own.

You'll reach the island overnight and admire its beauty in the morning. Welcome to Jurassic Park! The steep cliffs, cloudy forests on the peaks and wonderful animal life passing by (birds, dolphins, sharks) is a good start. One might assume this is a dive only destination but you can take the same trip and get dropped off for hiking tours as much as you want - which isn't a bad idea in practice but the diving is so good you'll "waste" your day looking for birds in my opinion and it will cost you extra for each trip.

Lucky for me only one dive operator was working during my trip because the other was busy with National Geographic, and the second Aggressor boat left after a couple of days so the chances of you seeing another dive group underwater are almost zero. Some private charters came across renting gear but they tend to also not mix with the other groups. There are "only" a few worthy dive sites such as Dirty Rock, Alceon, Dos Amigos, Manuelita, Punta Maria, but each one is so worth it. You'll be told that seeing a shark is common …

Keep reading 0 comments
First published: 11/05/19.

Timothy C Easton

Cocos Island

Cocos Island (Inscribed)

Cocos is a difficult place to reach. It took us over 36 hours of cruising on a live aboard dive boat to reach. The island itself is I believe the “real life” inspiration for Jurassic park. Other than a couple of rangers who live on the shore the island is totally uninhabited....by humans. It is very mountainous and is covered in thick rain forest jungle with beautiful streams flowing into the ocean. Supposedly buried pirate treasure is to be found....forget about it as the jungle is for all practical purposes impenetrable. The real reason to come here is if you are an experienced diver. The waters around the island are filled with sea life including sharks, mantas, pilot whales, dolphins, tuna, etc. because of the lack of a human population. But if you want to see this life go soon because the Japanese, Chinese and other fishing fleets have been illegally raping the seas around the island. For example, for the sake of shark fin soup the shark population has been greatly diminished...the sharks are caught, the fin is cut off and the animal is thrown back to suffer and die. UNESCO designation means nothing to these modern day pirates.

Keep reading 0 comments