Vessel: Sea Hunter Diving Days: 11 Total Dives: 32 Water Temperature: 84°F average (82 to 85°F) Visibility: 53 ft average (40 to 60 ft) Current: Light to moderate (avg 3 to 4/10)
Highlights: Schooling scalloped hammerheads, world-class days at Alcyone, a tiger shark, a humpback whale and calf, Galápagos and silvertip sharks, silky sharks, big-eye jacks, marbled rays, frogfish, and curious bottlenose dolphins
Day 1 opened with a check-out dive at Manuelita Coral Garden that turned into a fine surprise, a school of 30 to 40 hammerheads coming straight at the group near the end, along with a black-tip reef shark and a mobula. One of our groups also logged a hawksbill turtle and an eagle ray on the sand. The two afternoon dives at Manuelita Channel and Manuelita Outside were quieter but rich in species, with hammerheads, a black-tip oceanic shark, eagle rays, a silvertip, big yellowfin tuna passing close, and a Galápagos in the blue.
Day 2 was tougher, with lower visibility and some current. Dirty Rock still delivered, big-eye jacks pinned to the rock in the reverse current, hammerheads moving through the cleaning station, and a large, surprisingly friendly female mobula that stayed with one group on the safety stop. Punta Maria and Pajara were slow by comparison.
Day 3 picked up. Dos Amigos Pequeño produced a good showing of Galápagos sharks working up the rock and a silky in the blue. Alcyone was the best of the day, hammerheads throughout, a giant swirling school of big-eye jacks, and more hammerhead schools out in the blue.
Day 4 was mixed but had a real high. Dirty Rock gave one of our guides his best dive of the year to that point, big-eye jacks on the rock, two eagle rays, a large Galápagos, and a striking school of hammerheads moving calmly and close in clear water. Dos Amigos Pequeño was rough with heavy surge, and the payoff came at the very end when about 8 silky sharks circled the skiff alongside a Galápagos.
Day 5 brought strong current at Alcyone, and with it a moment when the sky filled with hammerheads over the rock. Manuelita Outside was quiet until a pod of dolphins appeared at the end. One group had a giant wahoo pass close on the safety stop at Pajara, and another found three hawksbill turtles together at Manuelita Outside.
Day 6 stepped up again. At Alcyone, one group locked onto a spectacular hammerhead school and stayed with it without a break from minute 23 to minute 37, with numbers the divers could hardly believe. This was also the island day, and guests went ashore for the hike to Wafer Bay. Manuelita Coral Garden closed the day with an orange frogfish and more hammerheads.
Day 7 was the peak of the trip. Alcyone was world-class, hammerheads everywhere from the moment we dropped onto the rock, filling the cleaning stations and stacking up in the blue in numbers our guides called the best in years! Shark Fin Rock added a huge school of big-eye jacks, 1,000+ strong, that swept right into the group and made the dive on its own. Manuelita Coral Garden brought a Commerson’s frogfish, a Galápagos, and a marbled ray.
Day 8 kept the hammerheads coming. Dirty Rock had them across the whole site with a very large Galápagos, eagle rays, and marbled rays. Dos Amigos Pequeño was on fire, and Manuelita Coral Garden finished with hammerheads throughout, an enormous marbled ray, the orange frogfish again, and a hammerhead school escorted by blue-and-gold jacks.
Day 9 was all variety. Alcyone held a deep hammerhead school that kept rising to the group through the final 20 minutes, and then bottlenose dolphins buzzed the safety stop, curious and close, for a magical few minutes. Dos Amigos Grande offered the arch with schooling fish and an eagle ray gliding through it, Pan de Azucar had excellent visibility and two very curious silvertips, and Manuelita Coral Garden gave up hammerheads, an eagle ray, a frogfish, and a marlin spotted by some guests.
Day 10 held both the trip’s finest single dive and its rarest sighting. One group scored a perfect dive at Manuelita Outside, reading the current beautifully into masses of hammerheads along the deep wall, a good-sized tiger shark that passed twice, a marbled ray, a curious female silvertip, and an impressive hammerhead school close in the blue, with guests dancing on the deck afterward. Later, while surfacing at Dirty Rock, the same group found dolphins escorting a humpback whale and her calf, and watched her breach in a burst of white water.
Day 11 sent us off on a high. Dirty Rock surprised one group on the east side of the rock with masses of hammerheads passing close, and Manuelita Coral Garden delivered the last hammerhead school of the trip in slightly dark water, which one guest called a hammerhead rave, capped by dolphins working the group at the safety stop. Another tiger shark cruised past in the distance at Manuelita Outside.
Our two week expedition for sea, hunter Coco Island was an exceptional experience and much of that thanks to the incredible crew. From start to finish, they were friendly, accommodating, organized, knowledgeable, and remarkably efficient . Special thanks goes to Ian, the cruise Director and our dive masters, Roberto and Louise. Their energy and enthusiasm never wavered, even over the course of a demanding two week trip. They were deeply knowledgeable- not only about diving in general, but also about Cocos Island, the individual dive sites, and the marine life we encountered. Their dive briefings were thorough, their planning was thoughtful, and every dive was executed with professionalism and attention to detail. Safety was always our highest priority. They made sure everyone was accounted for, comfortable, and well looked after before, during, and after every dive. They had an uncanny ability to locate wildlife, especially the hammerhead sharks, and we’re always quick to point out animals that many of us have otherwise missed. Their experience and instincts added tremendously to every dive.
Several dives where we ran into massive walls and tornadoes or hammers.
We also saw a large ray, sail fish and got to swim with dolphinsEven though it was an El Niño year there was no shortage of marine life!
Alcyone, dirty rock & manuelita coral garden were the most active dive sites throughout the trip that gave us some good encounter with hammerheads, schools of bigeye jacks and dolphins. I really appreciate the selection of healthy food and the variety of fruits, kitchen is excellent. The staff was very attentive, everybody did a great job. Special mention to Javier (pollito) he does a great job on having all salon and dining area neat and ready, always with a smile on his face.