Cocos Island Research Expedition

DIVE.RESEARCH.PROTECT.

Have the experience of a lifetime on a unique conservation research expedition at Cocos Island National Park off the coast of Costa Rica. Be a crucial part of Turtle Island Restoration Network’s long-term conservation study of sharks at Cocos Island, which was recently named the best place to dive with sharks by CNN!

Sea Turtiles. Photo by Schmulik Blum.

THE SPECIES

Cocos Island is known worldwide as an ocean haven for spectacular sharks, rare sea turtles, whales and abundant marine wildlife. These trips offer some of the most spectacular opportunities to view and photograph the incredible marine biodiversity of the Eastern Pacific.

THE RESEARCH SITE

Cocos Island National Park and World Heritage site is located 530 km southwest of Costa Rica’s mainland. It is famous for its large populations of scalloped hammerhead and white tip reef sharks, and boasts a number of endemic fish that occur nowhere else on the planet.

Hammerhead sharks. Photo by Schmulik Blum.

THE DIVING

Divers usually average three dives per day at depths of 60-100 feet or more. Participants will have optional opportunities to help count sharks, catch, weigh and measure sea turtles and and operate a hydrophone to listen for acoustic telemetry tagged animals. The data collected will help develop new international policies to protect endangered sharks and sea turtles as well as the Eastern Pacific’s incredible biodiversity.

REQUIREMENTS

Divers must be experienced divers, with PADI or NAUI membership, and must have personal DAN insurance. Nitrox is available for certified divers, and certification is also available on the vessel. The minimum required level of certification to dive is Open Water.

Sea Turtiles. Photo by Schmulik Blum.

CONTACT

tsteiner@seaturtles.org

US: (800) 859-7283 ext. 103 Intl: +1 (415) 663-8590 ext. 103

Visit seaturtles.com/cocos for more information.





SEVENSEAS Media logo for marine conservation articles

We love the work we do, and we hope you love the content we share. A donation in support of SEVENSEAS Media will help us carry our mission forward.

donate button

The mission of SEVENSEAS Media is to connect individuals and resources inside and outside of the conservation community to further the shared goal of preventing habitat destruction and biodiversity loss. Since our creation, we’ve been achieving this mission through:
  • Running community building projects in 174 countries
  • Engaging student ambassadors in over 50 universities
  • Forming strategic alliances and partnerships with over 200 professional organizations
  • Publishing over 500 authors, photographers, and researchers
  • Sponsoring dozens of beach and community clean-ups
  • Providing free scientific resources for educators
  • Promoting over 20 tailored conservation job postings per week- totaling over 1000 opportunities per year
  • Inspiring and educating our readers through rich imagery, engaging content, and a compelling conservation message
  • We do all of the above FOR FREE, because we care about the future

Find the latest articles on SEVENSEAS Media here.

Want to get in touch with questions or a submission? Contact us here.