Turtle Island leads primary research with volunteer dive research assistants at Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica, an oasis of ocean life. Hundreds of hammerhead sharks and rays, schools of fish numbering in the tens of thousands and endangered sea turtles surround the island.  Our research is setting the basis for better protections at Cocos Island and for a “Protected Swimway” to save sharks, sea turtles and other migratory animals as they swim throughout the region.

Join our 2017 trips:

2017 Schedule and Rates:

  • August 4 – 14, 2017: 10-day trip on Undersea Hunter’s Argo – ONLY ONE SPOT LEFT
    TOTAL cost per trip:  $6,785
    (Cost: $6,195, share of research cost + $490, Cocos Island National Park entrance fee + $100, round-trip transportation between hotel in San José to dock in Puntarenas. Discounts available for repeat participants.) 

  • December 3 – 13, 2017: 10-day trip on Undersea Hunter’s Argo
    NEW DISCOUNTED PRICE: TOTAL cost per trip:  $5,785
    (Cost: $5,195, share of research cost + $490, Cocos Island National Park entrance fee + $100, round-trip transportation between hotel in San José to dock in Puntarenas. Discounts available for repeat participants.) 

Join a research expedition to Cocos Island and work alongside scientists to research sea turtle and shark populations and migration at one of the world’s premiere scuba diving sites to see hammerhead sharks and a myriad of large marine species. Cocos Island National Park in Costa Rica is known worldwide as an ocean haven for spectacular sharks, rare sea turtles, whales and abundant marine wildlife.

These trips offer some of the most spectacular opportunities to view and photograph the incredible marine biodiversity of the East Pacific. Expedition participants will dive among schooling hammerheads, several species of sea turtles, and schools of thousands of fish, as they support conservation efforts directly at the site. Participate in three fantastic dives each day, which will be enhanced through Work with Turtle Island biologists to catch, tag and study sea turtles, and census and track sharks. This diver assisted research will provide the basis for strong protections to stop commercial fishers from invading these treasured waters.

For more information, contact: Erica Heimberg at info@seaturtles.org or call 1-800-859-7283 to register or learn more!

Cocos Island Video Trip Report: Argo, July 2016 from Undersea Hunter on Vimeo.