Two last minute openings on Cocos Island Shark & Turtle Tagging Expedition
Posted By admin on April 21, 2010
Join me, Todd Steiner, STRP’s executive director, on an expedition to Cocos Island National Park. These trips rank as my most memorable lifetime experiences, and offer some of the most spectacular opportunities to view and study the incredible marine biodiversity of the East Pacific.
Cocos Island National Park and World Heritage site is located 530 km southwest of Costa Rica. The site is one of the best diving spots in the world, and holds perhaps the richest biodiversity in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Green and hawksbill sea turtles are common and we will see schools of scalloped hammerheads, sometimes numbering more than 100 individuals on a single dive. Other regularly observed species include white tip reef sharks, silver tip sharks, Galapagos sharks, black tip sharks, silky sharks, marbled rays, eagle rays and bottlenose dolphins. The special treat of any diving expeditions, whale sharks, are also occasionally observed. Endless schools of jacks also swarm the island. For more information, click here.
Since 2004, PRETOMA has teamed up with the Shark Research Institute to carry out a five-year shark census in Cocos Island, and study the migratory movements of the sharks that live there. Thus far, eight expeditions have visited the Island, with research focusing on the short and long range movements of schooling scalloped hammerhead sharks. In total, nearly 50 sharks have been tagged with acoustic telemetry and 4 acoustic receivers are currently deployed on the island.
In March 2009, the first two satellite transmitters were attached to green sea turtles at Cocos, and on this trip, several addition sea turtle satellite transmitters will be deployed.
From May 27-June 6, 2010 AND/OR from August 24-Sep 3, 2010, you will have the opportunity to participate in one of these fascinating expeditions, and live the experience of a lifetime! Dive among schooling hammerheads, sea turtles, schools of thousands of fish, and assist researchers, and support conservation efforts directly at the site!
Expedition members MUST be intermediate divers, with PADI or NAUI membership, and have personal DAN insurance. Nitrox is also available for certified divers. Certifications will be requested at the site.
The dive expedition will be supported by the experienced and well-known dive company Undersea Hunter S.A, which has been running expeditions to Cocos Island since 1990. On the first trip (May 27), we will be using the Argo, a live-aboard 130-foot dive vessel for 15 passengers. The Argo carries a three-person submersible that will be available (at additional cost) for participants who wish to explore deep depths. On the August trip, we will be using the UnderSea Hunter , a live-aboard 90-foot dive vessel for 14 passengers and theParticipants will be divided into two group dives, which will be under the supervision of an experienced Dive Master/Rescue Diver.
Expedition members are expected to arrange their own travel to Costa Rica. The expedition begins with pick up at the hotel of your choice on day 1 at around 10:00 am, and ends when we return you to the hotel of your choice on last day at around 12:00 noon. We recommend Hotel Rincón de San José (http://www.hotelrincondesanjose.com/), or Hotel Grano de Oro (http://www.hotelgranodeoro.com/). If you would like assistance to book hotels, contact PRETOMA (info@tortugamarina.org).
May 27-June 6, 2010 on the Argo:
Cost: $5,090.00 (includes all meals and nitrox refills).
$ 245.00 (Cocos Island National Park entrance fee).
$ 60.00 (Transportation from hotel in San José to dock in Puntarenas.
TOTAL: US $5,395*
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