Dive Review of
Okeanos Aggressor in
Costa Rica/Cocos Island

Bonaire, Aruba, Curacao, St. John's, St. Lucia, Bora Bora, Grand Cayman,
Andros Isle (Bahamas), Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Akumal, Turks/Caicos,
California

Dive Conditions

No blue water diving or diving below 120 feet. Needed to be nitrox
certified and carry safety sausage. Needed gloves.  

[None]  

Overall Rating

Cocos Island is truly a diver's paradise. Our group flew into San Jose,
Costa Rica, requiring an overnight stay in a hillside hotel with beautiful
views. After a 3-4 hour bus ride over the mountainous (curvy) highway to
Puertorenas, we boarded the Okeanos in the evening and departed
immediately. The crossing to Cocos Island was very rough, 36 hours over
large swells, necessitating transcop patches AND motion sickness pills for
nearly everyone. The staterooms were small but adequate in size,
comfortable, and clean, with mostly a double bed and single bunk in each
room and one quad room, each with a toilet/shower.  They were cleaned
daily. We moored in Chatham Bay which was protected and very calm. Views
from the boat were amazing with dozens of waterfalls gracing the
rain-forested cliffs of Cocos and daily rainbows. Bird life was profuse.
Even from the liveaboard, we saw Mantas and dozens of silky sharks from the
decks.   Every dive was spectacular.  Most dives were to 100 feet, all on
nitrox, and averaged 50 minutes. There were three day dives and one night
dive each day. Dive sites were reached by Panga boats which accommodated 12
divers comfortably, each with built in racks for tanks.  The crew set up
the tanks and assisted in checking nitrox levels. All dive times, nitrox
mixes, and depths were carefully monitored. The crew was very friendly and
interactive. Nearly EVERY dive we saw HUNDREDS of hammerhead and white tip
sharks, dozens of marble rays, several manta rays and eagle rays,
profusions of tuna, bait balls containing thousands of fish, and dozens of
eels (many free swimming).  There were occasional turtles and dolphins and
even a large frogfish walking around. Currents could be strong and could
shift direction without warning. Thermoclines occurred at depth, dropping
temps to the low 70's. Our group wore 3 or 5 mm wetsuits, with hooded
vests, 5mm gloves (needed to hang on to the rocks in current).  Divers with
cameras had unending photo op as the sharks and whale sharks are unafraid
and approach closely.  Night dives involved watching packs of white tip
sharks in a feeding frenzy, covering the reef thickly like maggots.
Overall, the diving was the best in my 32 years of diving anywhere. Cocos
Island itself is like Jurassic Park. Access is strictly limited. Only the
park rangers live there. There is an extra $245 charge per person to dive
the Cocos area, $100 pp fuel surcharge, and $100 pp charge for unlimited
nitrox in addition to what we paid for a package deal for flight, hotel,
diving, and the liveaboard.  But still, worth every penny. The dive crew
made a DVD of our diving which amazes everyone who sees it. My thanks go
out to the crew.  The trip of a lifetime!! 

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