Cocos Island lies 340 miles off Costa Rica's Pacific coast, accessible only by a 36-hour liveaboard crossing — but the reward is arguably the planet's greatest concentration of schooling hammerhead sharks. Mantas, whale sharks, and vast schools of jacks patrol the volcanic seamounts and cleaning stations. This is a true expedition dive destination where you trade comfort for some of the most electric shark encounters imaginable.
The Remote Hammerhead Capital
Visibility30–100 ft
Temperature72–82°F
Max Depth130 ft
Currentstrong
2-Tank Dive$350
Best MonthsJune, July, August, September
Score Breakdown
Marine Life Diversity
96.0
Coral & Reef Health
55.0
Visibility & Conditions
58.0
Dive Site Variety
55.0
Water Temperature
72.0
Depth & Access
70.0
Operator Quality
85.0
Topside Experience
25.0
Getting There
22.0
Value & Cost
32.0
Crowding
92.0
Social Proof
92.0
Key Species
scalloped hammerheadwhitetip reef sharksilky sharkwhale sharkgiant manta raymarbled ray
Dive Types
pelagicwalldriftdeepnight
Top Operators
Undersea Hunter
PADI
4.8
280 reviewsNITROX
Okeanos Aggressor
PADI
4.7
320 reviewsNITROX
Argo Liveaboard
SSI
4.6
180 reviewsNITROX