Dive Conditions
Visibility: 46ft
Water Temp. 82°F
mild
strong
Weather
sunny
rainy
calm
choppy
Crossings
calm
choppy
calm
choppy
Sea Hunter
This was our first research trip back at Cocos Island for 2023! The goal? To study the migratory movements of sea turtles and elasmobranchs (sharks) in Cocos Island National Park and Bicentennial Marine Management Area. The Sea Hunter had aboard representatives from CREMA, Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN), Sea Change Agency, Marine Watch International, MigraMar, and Ocean Blue Tree.
By the end of the week the researchers had placed 7 acoustic tags on hammerheads, 4 internal tags on Galapagos and silvertip sharks, and performed some much-needed maintenance to the acoustic receivers around the island. External acoustic tags emit acoustic signals every 1.5 minutes, and can function for up to two years. Internal tags emit acoustic signals every 4-5 min, and can last between 6 and 10 years.
All-in-all, this was a super successful expedition!! We are so thrilled to be back at Cocos Island and honored to be able to help protect what we love most – the ocean and its sharks.
Now for the trip report:
Our first two days at the island were relatively quiet, and we saw hammerheads coming into the cleaning stations plus schools of bigeye jacks and bluefin trevallies hunting. At Punta Maria we saw a Galapagos, two silvertips, a couple of hammerheads and two big wahoos. We encountered blacktip and whitetip reef sharks during afternoon dives at Viking Rock.
By Day 3 the action really started picking up, and we decided to visit Alcyone so the scientists could perform some routine maintenance on their acoustic receiver there. There was a strong surge in the deeper waters, but they nonetheless succeeded in their task! Later, Manuelita Outside was fantastic with many hammerheads streaming into the cleaning stations. On our afternoon dive at Pajara, we saw a big tiger shark.
On Day 4, rough conditions made it impossible to visit Dos Amigos, so we returned to Dirty Rock and Manuelita where we enjoyed excellent hammerhead cleaning station activity. At Dirty Rock, the research team tagged a hammerhead with an acoustic tag, and out in the blue saw yellowfin tunas and mobula rays.
For Day 5 we once again found ourselves back at Dirty Rock, where the hammerheads were busy using the deep cleaning station. We also saw two marble rays and a huge school of jacks at the pinnacle. Diving Punta Maria was a challenge, and strong currents there definitely added an element of adventure! Later, in the afternoon, we went for a walk topside in Wafer Bay where researchers gave a presentation to the park rangers.
Day 6 Manuelita Channel was hot, and so many hammerheads were using the cleaning station and swimming close to the sandy bottom. We also observed two frogfish in the middle of the channel. Alcyone was quiet, with no current and few sharks — but we did find ourselves inside of a massive school of bigeye jacks followed by mullet snapper schooling above the rock. It was just magical. Then our afternoon dive at Manuelita Outside we saw a Galapagos and a couple of dolphins.
The resolution number pertaining to this expedition is: R- 009 PI-DR-ACMC-2022, granted by SINAC-MINAE-ACMC.
Roca Sucia and Manuelita Afuera were my favorite sites this trip. We saw good numbers of hammerheads in the cleaning stations. We also saw dolphins, mobulas, marble rays, boxfish, a few Galapagos sharks, and big schools of jacks! We had 21 greát dives! Great service, attention to detail. We had a great experience!
Staff, food,room, all lovely Cant think what you could do better. Safety was foremost but still our guides tried to make sure we saw as much as possible. Obviously very experienced on the dive sites and knew where to find sea life. Our room was kept emaculate. I wish i could do such a great job of making the beds. When we had a problem with the plumbing (my room mates fault) the staff quickly sorted it. Overall the staff made me feel like we were one big family Perfect Thanks for making it such a great experience XxxxxxX
Hammerheads were active in the cleaning stations of Manuelita and Dirty Rock. Eagle rays, marbled rays, mobula all graced us with their presence on several dives. Seeing two frog fish on one rock in the Channel was great. Our research tagging of sharks went well and look forward to downloading the data from our underwater receivers and taking a close look at the data. Can not wait for our next trip in November. Seaturtles.org Bryan was a great dive cruise master making new and old divers feel safe and comfortable. Of course all the cre was great and made everyone feel at home.
Brayan is an incredible Cruise Director and a great asset to the Undersea Hunter, bringing great diving skill & knowledge and perfect in customer service. The Captain is also working along side the every capacity. Their commitment to service is amazing. – Highly recommended!!!
Outstanding staff. It’s obvious that these crewmembers have been working together for a long time – it’s a well-oiled machine at work every day ! And, the guests are aware + appreciate just how difficult it is to put on these dive trips! Extremely enjoyable trip ! Cannot think of one thing that was under human control that could have been improved !
We saw a lot of sharks, rays and other fish, but my favourite experience was getting close to some Hammerheads in the blue. The staff were excellent, the rooms were kept in good order, towels were always fresh and the food was great. The skiffs were great for the very difficult weather conditions we experienced, and the drivers couldn’t have been better. I spent most of my dives with Hector and Fernando, who were outstanding Dive Leaders, always striving to make our experience the best it could possibly be. Bryun was a great tour leader, and pulled everything together in a very comprehensive way. Thanks guys for a wonderful trip.