Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica

Abstract

Cocos Island (“Isla del Coco”), 530 km off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, is the only island in the Eastern Tropical Pacific to be colonized by tropical rainforest. It is the only landmark of a line of submerged volcanoes formed over the margin of the Cocos and Pacific tectonic plates. The relief and coastline are rugged, and many rocks and cliffs rise almost vertically from a narrow shore. It harbors a rare and complex mosaic of land and sea environments, including forested mountains, rivers, waterfalls, estuaries, rocky beaches, bays, coral reefs – the most extensive in the East Pacific – and large pelagic habitats. It is also a magnificent diving site and one of the best places in the world to see large species such as sharks, rays, tuna, and dolphins. Is it known as the “sharkiest place in the sea.”