Episode · 15 min

Diving the Jurassic Park of the Ocean: Cocos Island

Cocos Island: Remote, Wild, and Packed With Sharks Brian takes you to one of the most remote scuba destinations in the Pacific: Cocos Island off Costa Rica. This episode breaks down why the island is legendary for shark encounters, what the liveaboard journey is really like, and who should realistically put this trip on their bucket list.If you are an experienced diver chasing big marine life, this is a clear look at what makes Cocos worth the long crossing and the serious commitment. Key topics Brian introduces Cocos Island as a remote volcanic dive destination more than 300 miles off Costa Rica's Pacific coast. The trip is a true liveaboard adventure, with a 30 to 36 hour boat crossing before you even reach the island. Cocos is known for dense encounters with scalloped hammerheads, including huge schools moving through the blue. Other possible sightings include tiger sharks, white tip reef sharks, silky sharks, manta rays, eagle rays, whale sharks, turtles, dolphins, tuna, and large schools of jacks. Brian highlights two signature dive sites, Bajo Alcyone and Dirty Rock, as major reasons the island is famous. The appeal is not just the animals, but the setting: seamounts, strong currents, deep water, and a feeling that the Pacific is moving all around you. This is not beginner-friendly diving. Brian stresses that buoyancy control, comfort in currents, and experience with remote liveaboards matter. The best-known season is roughly June through November, when nutrient-rich water often brings strong marine activity and warmer temperatures in the upper 70s to low 80s Fahrenheit. Visibility can vary, but Brian explains that at Cocos, richer water is often part of what brings the wildlife in. He closes by emphasizing that Cocos is for divers who want adventure, remoteness, and big-animal encounters rather than calm coral gardens. chapters 00:00 - Welcome to Salty Reef Dive Brief and today’s destination 00:45 - Why Cocos Island is a shark-heavy, big-animal dive 01:43 - How remote Cocos really is 02:10 - The 30 to 36 hour liveaboard crossing 03:10 - Why the diving itself becomes the vacation 04:06 - Scalloped hammerheads as the main attraction 05:02 - Tiger sharks, manta rays, dolphins, whale sharks, and more 06:04 - Why Bajo Alcyone is a signature hammerhead site 07:02 - Dirty Rock and the power of volcanic seamount diving 08:28 - Tiger sharks and the different presence they bring 09:30 - Whale shark encounters and why nothing is guaranteed 09:59 - Why Cocos is not a beginner dive destination 11:21 - Best season to dive Cocos and what conditions to expect 12:32 - What the liveaboard rhythm feels like day to day 13:50 - Who Cocos is really for 14:53 - Why planning the right liveaboard and season matters 16:19 - Other shark and big-animal destinations for similar trips 16:49 - Final recap of why Cocos is remote, challenging, and wild If you have enjoyed this episode please like and subscribe below. The Salty Reef podcast is sponsored by Retreva . Retreva is 24/7 Virtual sales rep always prospecting for you helping you fine new customers, win back old customers, follow up all for $249 a month. Learn more at www.Retreva.com