Shark tagging & sub-diving in the underwater paradise of Cocos Island | Cookson Adventures

Far off mainland Costa Rica, Cocos Island is a remote green speck in the Pacific Ocean. This untamed, jungle-clad island was the unofficial inspiration behind Jurassic Park, with waterfalls cascading from a fortress of mountains and no official inhabitants other national park rangers. Surrounded by one of the world’s largest designated marine protected areas, the deep blue waters surrounding it are considered the most shark populated on Earth. As it’s roughly a thirty-five hour sail from the nearest civilisation, most of the island’s visitors live beneath the waves, such as giant manta rays, sailfish and the world’s largest aggregations of the near-threatened silky sharks.

Over several multi-yacht trips, we’ve brought our clients right among the best of it all, going behind the scenes of conservation work and guiding submersibles to new sites. We’ve conducted the region’s most extensive seabed mapping programme, both identifying new dive sites for our clients and providing new information for university researchers. Together with marine biologists, our guests were able to assist in tagging and monitoring everything from hammerheads to whale sharks. These satellite and acoustic trackers are helping gather vital location data on migratory patterns, ultimately to contribute to the protection of their habitat. Our guests were inspired by talks and by heading out on tagging dives with the researchers, while their children delighted in getting hands on, measuring juvenile sharks, recording their details and helping apply tags.

All footage was taken by the Cookson Adventures team on location.

Follow this link to discover more about our yachting trips to Cocos Island and how Cookson Adventures can integrate immersive conservation experiences into your adventure: https://cooksonadventures.com/trip-ty...