Pinnacle
down to 30 m
Punta Maria
Deep seamount off Cocos' southwest corner, never shallower than 18 m, whose cleaning stations draw Galapagos sharks over 3 m long.
- Advanced
- Galápagos sharks
Cocos Island
Diving in Costa Rica
9 documented dive sites. Known for manta rays, hammerhead sharks and galápagos sharks.
- Best months
- Jun–Nov
- Water
- 22–28 °C
- Levels
- Advanced, Experienced
- Diving from
- Liveaboards
- Nearest airport
- SJO
When to go
Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.
Pick a month
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Cocos Island in October
Best season- Sea
- 28 °C
- at the surface
- Air
- 27 °C
- 25 °C at night
- Rain
- 360 mm
- average for the year
- Wind
- 22 km/h
- on average
The windiest month.
Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.
Wet season Jun–Nov: hammerhead peak, rough crossing. Dry season Dec–May: calmer, visibility 20–30 m. 30–36 h crossing from Puntarenas.
Dive sites in Cocos Island
From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.
Advanced divers only; strong currents; nitrox recommended.
For Advanced divers
usual dive down to 30 m7 sitesPinnacle
down to 30 m
Dirty Rock
Volcanic pinnacles where hammerheads and marble rays swim right up to divers at 20-25 m, with bottlenose dolphins often joining the safety stop.
- Advanced
- Whale sharks
Rock formations
down to 30 m
Dos Amigos Grande
A huge submerged archway between 19 and 28 m that whole groups can swim through, with hammerhead cleaning stations nearby.
- Advanced
- Hammerhead sharks
Pinnacle
down to 13 m
Silverado
A shallow Cocos site where silvertip sharks queue at a cleaning station while divers watch from the sand at 13 m.
- Advanced
- Silvertip sharks
Pinnacle
down to 33 m
Submerged Rock
A pinnacle off Cocos with an underwater archway where whitetip reef sharks rest and even give birth.
- Advanced
- Hammerhead sharks
For experienced divers
usual dive down to 40 m2 sitesMarine life
When the big encounters happen, month by month.
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hammerhead sharksSource: liveaboard.com | ||||||||||||
| Manta raysSource: zubludiving.com | ||||||||||||
| Whale sharksSource: dive-the-world.com | ||||||||||||
| Humpback whalesSource: zubludiving.com |
- Peak season
- Seen
Hammerhead sharks: Jun–Dec. Manta rays: Jun–Nov. Whale sharks: Jun–Nov. Humpback whales: Aug–Apr
Also reported here, season not documented yet:
- Galápagos sharks
- Silky sharks
- Silvertip sharks
- Whitetip reef sharks
- Turtles
- Eagle rays
- Mobula rays
- Stingrays
- Tuna
- Trevally
- Tiger sharks
- Dolphins
- Sea lions
Where is Cocos Island?
- Nearest airport
- SJO
- How people dive here
- LiveaboardsLiveaboard only
Cocos Island: frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to dive Cocos Island?
- The best months to dive Cocos Island are Jun–Nov. Wet season Jun–Nov: hammerhead peak, rough crossing. Dry season Dec–May: calmer, visibility 20–30 m. 30–36 h crossing from Puntarenas.
- Is Cocos Island good for beginner divers?
- Not really: none of the 9 dive sites we document is rated for Open Water divers. Plan an Advanced certification and some experience first.
- What is the water temperature in Cocos Island?
- The water is usually between 22 °C and 28 °C over the year.
- What marine life can you see in Cocos Island?
- Divers regularly see hammerhead sharks (Jun–Dec), manta rays (Jun–Nov), galápagos sharks, silky sharks, silvertip sharks and whitetip reef sharks.
- How do you dive Cocos Island?
- The nearest airport is SJO. Diving here is done from liveaboards only.
About this page
Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.
Your next dive is somewhere out there.
Find my next dive tripPhoto credits
- Rocky islet off Cocos Island, Costa Rica, Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía del Gobierno de Costa Rica, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash
