Cocos Island (hammerhead sites)

Cocos Island lies in the Pacific Ocean roughly 550 kilometres off the coast of Costa Rica, a remote, uninhabited island reachable only by multi-day liveaboard crossings from Puntarenas. It is known worldwide as a big-animal destination, with schooling scalloped hammerhead sharks its main draw, along with regular sightings of whitetip reef sharks, marbled rays, and larger pelagics such as Galapagos sharks and tuna. Dive sites around the island typically involve open-water pinnacles and rocky reefs with strong currents and often significant depth and surface swells, which is why diving here is generally considered suited to experienced divers. The island and its surrounding waters are protected as a national park and UNESCO World Heritage site.