Cocos Island : COSTA RICA
Cocos Island National Park is a unique oceanic island. It is the only emerged volcanic peak of the Cocos underwater ridge (Central Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean) 532 km off the coast of Costa Rica. With 24 square km of terrestrial and 1997 square km of marine ecosystems, it constitutes one of the privileged natural sites on the planet. Due to its isolation and state of conservation, with its unique biological diversity, it is ideal for conducting research about the evolution of species and environmental monitoring processes. According to legend, Cocos Island was a refuge for pirates who supposedly hid treasures here. The search for these treasures has motivated more than 300 expeditions; however, the real treasure is the island. Cocos Island (Spanish: Isla del Coco) is an island located off the shore of Costa Rica. It constitutes the 11th district[1] (one of 13) of Puntarenas Canton of the province of Puntarenas. [1]. It is one of the National Parks of Costa Rica. It is located in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 550 km (340 mi) from the Pacific shore of Costa Rica,[2] at 05°31′08″N 087°04′18″W. With an area of approximately 23.85 km² (9.2 mi²), about 8×3 km (5×1.9 mi) and a perimeter of around 23.3 km[3] this island is more or less rectangular in shape. Surrounded by deep waters with counter-currents, Cocos Island is admired by scuba divers for its populations of Hammerhead sharks, rays, dolphins and other large marine species. The extremely wet climate and oceanic character give Cocos an ecological character that is not shared with either the Galapagos Archipelago or any of the other islands (e.g., Malpelo or Coiba) in this region of the world
Cocos Island is an oceanic island of both volcanic and tectonic origin. It is the only emergent island of the Cocos Plate, one of the minor tectonic plates. An Argon–Potassium radiometric determination established the age of the oldest rocks between 1.91 and 2.44 million years (Late Pliocene)[10] and is composed primarily of basalt, which is formed by cooling lava. The landscape is mountainous and irregular and the summit is Cerro Iglesias at 575.5 m.[10] In spite of its mountainous character, there are flatter areas between 200–260 m in elevation in the central part of the island, which are said to be a transitional stage of the geomorphological cycle of V-shaped valleys.[11] With four bays, three of them in the north side (Wafer, Chatham and Weston), Cocos Island has a number of short rivers and streams that drain the abundant rainfall into them. The largest rivers are the Genio and the Pittier, which drain their water into Wafer Bay. The mountainous landscape and the tropical climate combine to create over 200 waterfalls throughout the island. The island's soils are classified as entisols which are highly acidic and could be easily eroded by the Island's high rainfall on the steep slopes, were it not for the dense forest coverage. The climate of the island is mostly determined by the latitudinal movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which creates cloudiness and precipitation that is constant throughout the year.[12] This makes the climate in the island to be humid and tropical with an average annual temperature of 23.6 ºC (74.5 ºF) and an average annual rainfall of over 7,000 mm (275 in). Rainfall is high throughout the year, although lower from January through March and slightly lower during late September and October.[13] Numerous oceanic currents from the central Pacific Ocean that converge on the island also have an important influence.
Cocos Island in the East Pacific is the largest uninhabited island in the world, it's remote, wild and and excellent diving location. Cocos is located 300+ miles south-southwest of Costa Rica, accessible only by boat. The area is dived only by liveaboard and there are no places to stay on the island. You likely see hordes of hammerhead sharks and dense populations of pelagic and reef fish, turtles, many types of eels, starfish and even a rare frogfish. Here, on Cocos, the fish population has been allowed to grow in harmony with the natural balance of the food chain, which is why such a great diversity and quantity of sea life is prevalent. It's probably the best place in the world to go diving with sharks. Absolutely no problem with crowds of other divers and all the lliveaboards are excellent. Cocos Island lies in an Intertropical Convergence Zone. This zone is where the weather patterns of the two hemispheres converge near the equator. Here North and Southeast trade winds meet with the north and south equatorial currents. The warm north and south equatorial currents run in a westerly direction, which helps create a humid climate. While between the two, the counter equatorial current runs in the opposite direction. Ascending nutrient rich waters with these currents as they converge. This high rainforest-clad island, with diverse currents and weather patterns, is rarely seen without some kind of cloud cover and receives 18-24ft (6-8m) of rain annually. The dry season is from January-April, and the wet season is June-December. Torrential rain and beautiful sunny skies can be expected throughout the year. Water temperatures are variable, but basically run between 74-87°F (23-30°C). Temperatures can vary dramatically with depth. Nearer the surface the water is warmer and deeper down it gets colder quickly. Air Temperatures range rarely fall below 75°F (20-33°C). It is hard to imagine good underwater visibility associated with an area of such high rainfall but, in fact, it has little effect.
Cocos Island is an oceanic island of both volcanic and tectonic origin. It is the only emergent island of the Cocos Plate, one of the minor tectonic plates. An Argon–Potassium radiometric determination established the age of the oldest rocks between 1.91 and 2.44 million years (Late Pliocene)[10] and is composed primarily of basalt, which is formed by cooling lava. The landscape is mountainous and irregular and the summit is Cerro Iglesias at 575.5 m.[10] In spite of its mountainous character, there are flatter areas between 200–260 m in elevation in the central part of the island, which are said to be a transitional stage of the geomorphological cycle of V-shaped valleys.[11] With four bays, three of them in the north side (Wafer, Chatham and Weston), Cocos Island has a number of short rivers and streams that drain the abundant rainfall into them. The largest rivers are the Genio and the Pittier, which drain their water into Wafer Bay. The mountainous landscape and the tropical climate combine to create over 200 waterfalls throughout the island. The island's soils are classified as entisols which are highly acidic and could be easily eroded by the Island's high rainfall on the steep slopes, were it not for the dense forest coverage. The climate of the island is mostly determined by the latitudinal movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which creates cloudiness and precipitation that is constant throughout the year.[12] This makes the climate in the island to be humid and tropical with an average annual temperature of 23.6 ºC (74.5 ºF) and an average annual rainfall of over 7,000 mm (275 in). Rainfall is high throughout the year, although lower from January through March and slightly lower during late September and October.[13] Numerous oceanic currents from the central Pacific Ocean that converge on the island also have an important influence.
Cocos Island in the East Pacific is the largest uninhabited island in the world, it's remote, wild and and excellent diving location. Cocos is located 300+ miles south-southwest of Costa Rica, accessible only by boat. The area is dived only by liveaboard and there are no places to stay on the island. You likely see hordes of hammerhead sharks and dense populations of pelagic and reef fish, turtles, many types of eels, starfish and even a rare frogfish. Here, on Cocos, the fish population has been allowed to grow in harmony with the natural balance of the food chain, which is why such a great diversity and quantity of sea life is prevalent. It's probably the best place in the world to go diving with sharks. Absolutely no problem with crowds of other divers and all the lliveaboards are excellent. Cocos Island lies in an Intertropical Convergence Zone. This zone is where the weather patterns of the two hemispheres converge near the equator. Here North and Southeast trade winds meet with the north and south equatorial currents. The warm north and south equatorial currents run in a westerly direction, which helps create a humid climate. While between the two, the counter equatorial current runs in the opposite direction. Ascending nutrient rich waters with these currents as they converge. This high rainforest-clad island, with diverse currents and weather patterns, is rarely seen without some kind of cloud cover and receives 18-24ft (6-8m) of rain annually. The dry season is from January-April, and the wet season is June-December. Torrential rain and beautiful sunny skies can be expected throughout the year. Water temperatures are variable, but basically run between 74-87°F (23-30°C). Temperatures can vary dramatically with depth. Nearer the surface the water is warmer and deeper down it gets colder quickly. Air Temperatures range rarely fall below 75°F (20-33°C). It is hard to imagine good underwater visibility associated with an area of such high rainfall but, in fact, it has little effect.
