SEA HUNTER & UNDERSEA HUNTER, COCOS ISLAND: General Info
These sister vessels, Sea Hunter & Undersea Hunter, are an ideal way to check out the exciting sea pinnacles that surround this remote & still untrampled Cocos Island, nearly 300 miles West of Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Cocos Island seems tailored by Poseidon himself for one reason only -- to delight & amaze scuba divers from around the world. Cocos Island is a pelagic photographer's vision of the afterworld. Cocos Island is also the largest uninhabited island in the world, which only adds to its considerable mystique. Because the diver numbers are modest on the Sea Hunter & Undersea Hunter, you're unlikely to scare away the shy hammerheads that are a main attraction here, schooling & tooling in majestic silent droves just off one of the world's largest uninhabited islands.
The Undersea Hunter is 90 feet long & carries 14 passengers; the Sea Hunter is 115 feet long & carries 18 passengers. The Sea Hunter is a powerful & comfortable meld of utility vessel & spacious luxury yacht. She has the grit & gristle of a commercial cargo vessel, with hefty engines; yet she also sports eight newly refurbished cabins with en suite heads & modern fixtures. Sea Hunter of Cocos Island has a fuel capacity of 20,000 gallons, water storage capacity of 46,000 gallons & a 5,000-mile cruising range at 12 knots. There's almost nowhere on Earth this sturdy vessel can't get to in a single push from port. But she's dedicated to the awesome marine environment of Cocos Island.
The Sea Hunter of Cocos Island, Costa Rica is that rare ocean vessel built to please both demanding professional clients -- ie. photographers, adventure divers, experienced instructors -- & also casual sport divers of the sort most of us weekend warriors are.
Sea Hunter of Cocos Island, Costa Rica, is blessed with 1,000 square feet of deck space, a helicopter landing pad, a large lounge area that doubles as a movie theater, a library & an office with a personal computer. In 1995 & '96 the Sea Hunter hosted world-renowned wildlife cinematographer Howard Hall, as his team produced a National Geographic Special documentary on Cocos Island. This is typical of the oceanographers, photographers & diving personalities who just may choose to be aboard your trip any season of the year. The dive world knows that Cocos Island, Costa Rica, is a unique marine environment, on a par with the Galapagos for sheer abundance & diversity of flora & fauna underwater. And the two Hunter vessels are acknowledged as the best vessels extant that can take you out to Cocos Island. So the scuba divers who want unrivaled pelagic action choose these boats. That is where you find the heart & soul of Costa Rica diving.
Live-aboard mavens would agree that Cocos Island is a good bet for hosting the healthiest & wildest array of big underwater critters of any island in the Central American region. On virtually any Cocos island diving trip you'll see huge schools of whitetip & hammerhead sharks cruising peacefully in their regal silence, marbled stingrays sometimes reaching 6-7 feet wingspan, giant manta rays that grow to be 12 feet across, huge moray eels waving from their lairs like monster cobras (though vastly gentler!), sometimes even the coolest big'un of all -- the rare, elusive & prized sighting of a whale shark. Yep, "Senor Beeg" himself visits these waters from time to time. If you've never seen the side of a barn moving, well word is: that can be a religious experience. In addition to these fish there are, in great abundance & dancing colors: huge schools of jacks, tuna, Moorish idols, barracuda, Creole fish; & there are lobsters, octopi, silky sharks green turtles, marlin, sailfish, goat fish & scores of other exotic species too numerous to name here now. Starting to see what we mean about Cocos Island diving being one of the world's primo big critter epicenters? Costa Rica diving, in large part, owes its good name to Cocos Island.
Scuba diving is a little more athletic on this trip than perhaps you'll find on many laid-back Caribbean vessels. For example, one day you might visit big undersea crags & pinnacles that are accessed on swift drift dives that whisk you bodily through hefty schools of jacks, tuna, rays or hammerheads. Talk about adrenaline from your hair follicles to your toenails. There's a rush a dive on this Costa Rica scuba vacation trip, no worries on that score.
Both of the Cocos Island Hunter vessels offer comfy & private 2-person cabins, most of which have a private en suite bathroom. Divers board big fiberglass skiffs then zip out to the dive sites from the mother ship, which makes it easier for you to locate right next to your drop-down point. You spend more time scuba diving on Cocos Island, since your time there is decidedly precious, & less time moving around needlessly, fussing over multiple daily anchorages.
Getting out to Cocos Island is not a problem. In fact it's a cinch. You fly in on Continental (we have the lowest-priced wholesale tickets in the country to San Jose from most major U.S. cities); & you spend the first evening in a San Jose hotel, then the next morning you travel by bus about three hours to the Pacific coastal city of Puntarenas, where you meet the lovely & alluring sisters -- Sea Hunter & Undersea Hunter. It takes about 32 -35 hours to cruise westward out to Cocos Island, where the vessels anchor in bays, & release their dive launches.
Virtually every Cocos Island dive group in the last five years has seen schooling hammerheads by the scores (don't worry; they don't see divers as neon-colored appetizers!), plus a gargantuan school of many hundreds of jacks that glide en masse around Manuelita Island. You'll also likely be treated to some more eyeball candy from manta rays, wahoos, sailfish, maybe even a humpback whale if you're lucky.
After your excellent Costa Rica diving adventure, the buses carry you back to San Jose -- while you're singing triumphantly to the driver, "Do you know the way to...?" -- & you'll spend another night in the capital. Then you fly home the next morning, asking yourself, "Why don't I live here? What is the eternal meaning, anyway, behind those ubiquitous numbers 9 to 5?
If you're looking for big sea animals & some heart-thumping action, it's tough to beat Cocos Island of Costa Rica, a Pacific citadel of pelagic power that's likely to satiate even the most die-hard dive adventurers.
Try the Sea Hunter or Undersea Hunter, amigo, you may feel some big changes taking place while you're down here; & when you return too -- as yet another gratified member of the Locos for Cocos Club.
The Undersea Hunter is 90 feet long & carries 14 passengers; the Sea Hunter is 115 feet long & carries 18 passengers. The Sea Hunter is a powerful & comfortable meld of utility vessel & spacious luxury yacht. She has the grit & gristle of a commercial cargo vessel, with hefty engines; yet she also sports eight newly refurbished cabins with en suite heads & modern fixtures. Sea Hunter of Cocos Island has a fuel capacity of 20,000 gallons, water storage capacity of 46,000 gallons & a 5,000-mile cruising range at 12 knots. There's almost nowhere on Earth this sturdy vessel can't get to in a single push from port. But she's dedicated to the awesome marine environment of Cocos Island.
The Sea Hunter of Cocos Island, Costa Rica is that rare ocean vessel built to please both demanding professional clients -- ie. photographers, adventure divers, experienced instructors -- & also casual sport divers of the sort most of us weekend warriors are.
Sea Hunter of Cocos Island, Costa Rica, is blessed with 1,000 square feet of deck space, a helicopter landing pad, a large lounge area that doubles as a movie theater, a library & an office with a personal computer. In 1995 & '96 the Sea Hunter hosted world-renowned wildlife cinematographer Howard Hall, as his team produced a National Geographic Special documentary on Cocos Island. This is typical of the oceanographers, photographers & diving personalities who just may choose to be aboard your trip any season of the year. The dive world knows that Cocos Island, Costa Rica, is a unique marine environment, on a par with the Galapagos for sheer abundance & diversity of flora & fauna underwater. And the two Hunter vessels are acknowledged as the best vessels extant that can take you out to Cocos Island. So the scuba divers who want unrivaled pelagic action choose these boats. That is where you find the heart & soul of Costa Rica diving.
Live-aboard mavens would agree that Cocos Island is a good bet for hosting the healthiest & wildest array of big underwater critters of any island in the Central American region. On virtually any Cocos island diving trip you'll see huge schools of whitetip & hammerhead sharks cruising peacefully in their regal silence, marbled stingrays sometimes reaching 6-7 feet wingspan, giant manta rays that grow to be 12 feet across, huge moray eels waving from their lairs like monster cobras (though vastly gentler!), sometimes even the coolest big'un of all -- the rare, elusive & prized sighting of a whale shark. Yep, "Senor Beeg" himself visits these waters from time to time. If you've never seen the side of a barn moving, well word is: that can be a religious experience. In addition to these fish there are, in great abundance & dancing colors: huge schools of jacks, tuna, Moorish idols, barracuda, Creole fish; & there are lobsters, octopi, silky sharks green turtles, marlin, sailfish, goat fish & scores of other exotic species too numerous to name here now. Starting to see what we mean about Cocos Island diving being one of the world's primo big critter epicenters? Costa Rica diving, in large part, owes its good name to Cocos Island.
Scuba diving is a little more athletic on this trip than perhaps you'll find on many laid-back Caribbean vessels. For example, one day you might visit big undersea crags & pinnacles that are accessed on swift drift dives that whisk you bodily through hefty schools of jacks, tuna, rays or hammerheads. Talk about adrenaline from your hair follicles to your toenails. There's a rush a dive on this Costa Rica scuba vacation trip, no worries on that score.
Both of the Cocos Island Hunter vessels offer comfy & private 2-person cabins, most of which have a private en suite bathroom. Divers board big fiberglass skiffs then zip out to the dive sites from the mother ship, which makes it easier for you to locate right next to your drop-down point. You spend more time scuba diving on Cocos Island, since your time there is decidedly precious, & less time moving around needlessly, fussing over multiple daily anchorages.
Getting out to Cocos Island is not a problem. In fact it's a cinch. You fly in on Continental (we have the lowest-priced wholesale tickets in the country to San Jose from most major U.S. cities); & you spend the first evening in a San Jose hotel, then the next morning you travel by bus about three hours to the Pacific coastal city of Puntarenas, where you meet the lovely & alluring sisters -- Sea Hunter & Undersea Hunter. It takes about 32 -35 hours to cruise westward out to Cocos Island, where the vessels anchor in bays, & release their dive launches.
Virtually every Cocos Island dive group in the last five years has seen schooling hammerheads by the scores (don't worry; they don't see divers as neon-colored appetizers!), plus a gargantuan school of many hundreds of jacks that glide en masse around Manuelita Island. You'll also likely be treated to some more eyeball candy from manta rays, wahoos, sailfish, maybe even a humpback whale if you're lucky.
After your excellent Costa Rica diving adventure, the buses carry you back to San Jose -- while you're singing triumphantly to the driver, "Do you know the way to...?" -- & you'll spend another night in the capital. Then you fly home the next morning, asking yourself, "Why don't I live here? What is the eternal meaning, anyway, behind those ubiquitous numbers 9 to 5?
If you're looking for big sea animals & some heart-thumping action, it's tough to beat Cocos Island of Costa Rica, a Pacific citadel of pelagic power that's likely to satiate even the most die-hard dive adventurers.
Try the Sea Hunter or Undersea Hunter, amigo, you may feel some big changes taking place while you're down here; & when you return too -- as yet another gratified member of the Locos for Cocos Club.
ARGO, COCOS ISLAND: General Info
The ARGO is operated by Undersea Hunter Group. ARGO is 130 feet of live-aboard comfort and convenience. Specialties of this adventure are excellence in service, food and non-stop underwater excitement. The ARGO offers ten-day adventures to Cocos Island, 300 miles offshore of Costa Rica's Pacific coast. Due to flight schedules in and out of San Jose, the capital city, an overnight stay is required both before and after the cruise. San Jose is located in a wide mountain valley at 3000' elevation and offers several diversions, including jungle hikes, volcano tours and whitewater rafting. Local shopping offers bargains for leather crafts, woodcarvings, hammocks, coffee and
macadamia nuts. There are Black Jack casinos and several nightclubs to catch your interest. From San Jose, a tour bus will transport you to the coastal village of Puntarenas where the ARGO is berthed. This scenic drive takes approximately two and one half hours and offers an excellent opportunity to see the lush mountain countryside of the region.
COCOS ISLAND ABOARD THE ARGO
A distinctive and remote diving location, Cocos Island is for the serious diver! Cocos Island has retained its pristine appearance both above and below the ocean's surface. Cocos is a very lush, rugged tropical island that is preserved as one of Costa Rica's National Parks.
It is a long voyage to the island, but one that serious divers are happy to make. The experiences one will have on this trip are sure to spice up any logbook. Once aboard the ARGO, the cruise to Cocos Island takes 32-36 hours and culminates with breathtaking views of numerous waterfalls. Diving here is just short of unbelievable. In the waters of Cocos Island, you will dive with white tips and hammerhead sharks, marbled stingrays approaching 6' in diameter, manta rays up to 12' across, giant moray eels and an occasional whale shark! Additionally, you will see moorish Idols, large schools of jacks and tuna, creole fish, lobsters, octopus and other various reef life. Silky sharks, silver tips, sailfish, marlin, and green turtles are also in the area. The key word in describing Cocos Island diving is ACTION!!! If you are looking for adventure, it's here! Conditions around Cocos are varied. The one constant factor at Cocos is change. Currents are at times strong and unusually changeable. Diving could become strenuous, but not more that any experienced diver could handle. Visibility averages 80-100' with occasional extremes of 40' and 120'. With this in mind, be prepared for some of the best diving of your life.
ARGO FACILITIES
• This vessel has 9 cabins (total capacity of 18 passengers):
• The chase boats are superb, two fiberglass cruisers of 24' and 22'. ARGO puts 8 or less divers in each chase boat.
• This is a superbly comfortable, stable and spacious vessel, with everything a serious diver / photographer could wish for. While on board the ARGO, you can also take advantage of the opportunity to become a certified nitrox diver, which will extend your bottom time.
DIVING OPERATION
Our goal is to introduce you to varied and exciting dives. Generally, we have two dives scheduled for the morning, 8 AM and 11 AM and another dive after lunch, around 2.30 PM. During the trip it will also be possible to do at least three night dives. This schedule can vary
depending on events, circumstances and opportunities that may present themselves. Our motto is never turn your back on a magnificent bait-ball, which can appear at almost anytime. Once a thorough briefing from our dive-masters has been given onboard the mothership, our
guests jump onto their respective skiffs and zip out to the chosen sites. Each support boat accommodates up to nine divers plus driver and dive-master, who always dives with the group. After a short ride, each of the skiffs will reach a different dive site that is alternated on the
following dive, allowing the two groups to dive the same areas but at different times of the day. On the way to or from the planned dive sites it is very common for our skiff drivers to seek out the best spots for memorable surface experiences. To watch dolphins, mantas, whales, a promising bait-ball or just cruse up to some of the islands most beautiful attractions, which are only reachable by small skiff. Between dives or when time permits, guests are welcome use the sea kayaks, go for a swim, snorkel around the boat, or just chill-out and watch movies.
macadamia nuts. There are Black Jack casinos and several nightclubs to catch your interest. From San Jose, a tour bus will transport you to the coastal village of Puntarenas where the ARGO is berthed. This scenic drive takes approximately two and one half hours and offers an excellent opportunity to see the lush mountain countryside of the region.
COCOS ISLAND ABOARD THE ARGO
A distinctive and remote diving location, Cocos Island is for the serious diver! Cocos Island has retained its pristine appearance both above and below the ocean's surface. Cocos is a very lush, rugged tropical island that is preserved as one of Costa Rica's National Parks.
It is a long voyage to the island, but one that serious divers are happy to make. The experiences one will have on this trip are sure to spice up any logbook. Once aboard the ARGO, the cruise to Cocos Island takes 32-36 hours and culminates with breathtaking views of numerous waterfalls. Diving here is just short of unbelievable. In the waters of Cocos Island, you will dive with white tips and hammerhead sharks, marbled stingrays approaching 6' in diameter, manta rays up to 12' across, giant moray eels and an occasional whale shark! Additionally, you will see moorish Idols, large schools of jacks and tuna, creole fish, lobsters, octopus and other various reef life. Silky sharks, silver tips, sailfish, marlin, and green turtles are also in the area. The key word in describing Cocos Island diving is ACTION!!! If you are looking for adventure, it's here! Conditions around Cocos are varied. The one constant factor at Cocos is change. Currents are at times strong and unusually changeable. Diving could become strenuous, but not more that any experienced diver could handle. Visibility averages 80-100' with occasional extremes of 40' and 120'. With this in mind, be prepared for some of the best diving of your life.
ARGO FACILITIES
• This vessel has 9 cabins (total capacity of 18 passengers):
- Six double staterooms with 1 queen bed (and optional upper bed) and private bath.
- Three doubles with 2 beds and private bath.
• The chase boats are superb, two fiberglass cruisers of 24' and 22'. ARGO puts 8 or less divers in each chase boat.
• This is a superbly comfortable, stable and spacious vessel, with everything a serious diver / photographer could wish for. While on board the ARGO, you can also take advantage of the opportunity to become a certified nitrox diver, which will extend your bottom time.
DIVING OPERATION
Our goal is to introduce you to varied and exciting dives. Generally, we have two dives scheduled for the morning, 8 AM and 11 AM and another dive after lunch, around 2.30 PM. During the trip it will also be possible to do at least three night dives. This schedule can vary
depending on events, circumstances and opportunities that may present themselves. Our motto is never turn your back on a magnificent bait-ball, which can appear at almost anytime. Once a thorough briefing from our dive-masters has been given onboard the mothership, our
guests jump onto their respective skiffs and zip out to the chosen sites. Each support boat accommodates up to nine divers plus driver and dive-master, who always dives with the group. After a short ride, each of the skiffs will reach a different dive site that is alternated on the
following dive, allowing the two groups to dive the same areas but at different times of the day. On the way to or from the planned dive sites it is very common for our skiff drivers to seek out the best spots for memorable surface experiences. To watch dolphins, mantas, whales, a promising bait-ball or just cruse up to some of the islands most beautiful attractions, which are only reachable by small skiff. Between dives or when time permits, guests are welcome use the sea kayaks, go for a swim, snorkel around the boat, or just chill-out and watch movies.
Information provided courtesy of Undersea Hunter Group.
All Undersea Hunter, Sea Hunter & Argo photos © Copyright Undersea Hunter Group.