Argo May 18–28, 2022

We are thrilled to have just returned back from Cocos Island, after such a very long time away! This is our first trip of 2022 to Cocos Island (for the first part of the year were busy exploring other parts of the planet including voyages with Nat Geo Pristine Seas, the Smithsonian, and a string of adventures to see the humpbacks of Silver Bank).

This voyage we had a very diverse group of divers from the USA, Ukraine, Russia, Germany and India aboard the Argo. Our first check out dive at the island we had calm waters, cool temperatures and hammerhead sightings here and there. Things started to pick up for the next dive at Dirty Rock, where there were hammerheads near the cleaning station and in schools in the blue, in close proximity.

We saw some fantastic marble ray activity at Manuelita Channel, and were able to observe their iconic mating behavior that happens here at Cocos Island — with dozens of them in a processional line pursuing a single, enormous female leading the bunch. Then at the safety stop we bumped into a massive school of jacks, swirling all around us! We also saw a pregnant tiger shark that made a close pass.

There was so much amazing macro life to enjoy on our afternoon dives, particularly at Pajara – including mantis shrimp and a picturesque little seahorse.

Alcyone had some very cold water, with whiteitps along the thermocline. We also saw a blacktip out in the blue, and some Galapagos sharks. Big and Small Dos Amigos were also flush with cold water and strong currents, with some hammerheads at the cleaning station. Day 5 there was more serious current at Dirty Rock, like a river running through the dive site. We did manage to see a school of at least 25 hammerheads out in the blue.

Then toward the end of the trip, the currents calmed down! Manuelita Coral Garden was gorgeous, with hammerheads streaming in along the sand. On our last day at the island, we enjoyed lovely sunny weather and calm sea conditions with very little current. Dirty Rock gave us a spectacular sendoff — we encountered a whale shark followed by dolphins and jacks and hammerheads near the dolphins. The whale shark came in for a second pass, and then we got lost in the school of jacks with dolphins swimming beside us…Cocos magic at its finest!