New Year's at Cocos Island

      Puntarenas Province, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

      BP
      Blue Planet Scuba
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      142 reviews
      Dec 28, 2021 - Jan 7, 2022
      Group size: 12 - 18
      New Year's at Cocos Island
      Puntarenas Province, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

      Blue Planet Scuba
      • Email address verified
      • Facebook verified
      • Twitter verified
      142 reviews

      Dec 28, 2021 - Jan 7, 2022
      Group size: 12 - 18

      About this trip

      Celebrate New Year's diving the world famous Cocos Island with Blue Planet Scuba! We'll be onboard the Okeanos Aggressor II for 10 nights and will make up to 24 dives in the Cocos Island National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for incredible big animal encounters. 

      Cocos Island

      Cocos is a lush, green uninhabited island resting 342 miles off Costa Rica's Pacific coast. Rocky pinnacles surrounding Cocos are beacons for big animals and big action. Schooling hammerheads, countless white-tip sharks, mantas, tuna and even whale sharks call Cocos home. 


      “Isla del Coco”, also known as “Treasure Island”, is the only landmark of the vast submarine Cocos Range. The National Park protects the island's tropical forest plus its diverse marine ecosystems, mostly pelagic, but also the most diverse coral reefs of the entire Eastern Tropical Pacific. Thanks to its remote location and conservation efforts, this biologically highly diverse site constitutes some of the best conserved marine tropical waters. 


      Natural population densities of large top predators - such as the endangered Scalloped Hammerhead Shark and the near-threatened Silky Shark and Galapagos Shark - indicate a near pristine conservation status. The oceanic island of volcanic origin is also a point of confluence of marine currents, making it a dispersal center of larvae of marine species from various parts of the Pacific Ocean. On land, you will find three endemic bird species, two endemic freshwater fish and two endemic reptile species. (UNESCO)

      The Diving

      Minimum dive certification/experience: PADI Advanced Open Water Diver with 50 dives, most of which should be ocean dives from a boat. PADI Enriched Air/Nitrox certification strongly recommended.


      You can expect to see large pelagic species like hammerhead sharks, silkies, Galapagos, tiger sharks and maybe even whale sharks if we're lucky. Plus rays like eagle rays, mantas and mobulas, as well as turtles, dolphins and other marine mammals, huge schools of fish and so much more. If you can turn your eyes away from the action in the blue, you can see frogfish, batfish and other cryptic bottom dwellers.


      Our itinerary includes 7 days of diving with up to four dives daily. No night diving will be offered and all diving will be done from tenders. Water temperatures range from 72 - 82F (22 - 28C) with cooler thermoclines. Most of the action is between 50-100 feet with visibility in the 80-100 feet range. The crossing to the island takes 36 hours with the return taking 28-32 hours. 


      Due to the strenuous nature of the diving and currents, you must be an experienced diver for this trip. If you are interested in going but not sure if you have the experience necessary, just contact us and we can discuss options.

      The Okeanos Aggressor II

      The Okeanos Aggressor II is a 120’ yacht, built and powered for comfort, safety and stability. She is diesel-powered, cruises at 10 knots and has 110-volt power on board. Comfortable accommodations for 22 guests include 9 deluxe staterooms with double bed lower and twin bed upper, 1 master deluxe stateroom with a queen bed, and 2 suites of which one has two twin beds and the other a king bed. Each stateroom features a private bathroom and shower, and storage space for your luggage.


      The Okeanos Aggressor II has a spacious salon, covered and uncovered sun deck area, chaise lounges, deck chairs, bar, grill, and a complete photo center. There is a variety of nightly entertainment, including diving and fish identification presentations, movies, games and more. 


      The menu onboard is varied and plentiful, with a variety of American feasts, barbecues and local cuisine. You will awaken to fresh fruits, hot entrees, cereals and juices. Lunches feature hot soups, homemade breads, salads and sandwiches and/or entrees. Dinners include salads, vegetables, seafood, beef or chicken with a fresh homemade dessert. The beverage selection includes fruit juices, soft drinks, iced water, iced tea, coffee, and a limited selection of local beer and wine, which are complimentary. 

      Travel

      Plan to fly into San Jose on Monday, December 27 and overnight in one of the two host hotels. We will be picked up early Tuesday morning and transferred to Puntarenas, where we will board the yacht. We will checkout at 7 AM on Friday, January 7 and transfer back to the San Jose airport or the host hotels. Please contact the shop before booking any flights or hotels.


      Interested in extending your trip? We’re happy to help you plan land-based excursions in Costa Rica before and after the liveaboard.

      Cancellation Policy

      Upon cancellation of a reservation for any reason, the refund of the deposit and payments made or due will be contingent upon Blue Planet reselling the participant's reservation. Any refund may also be subject to a $300 cancellation fee and payment of any non-refundable fees imposed by the tour company, dive operator or any other contractor associated with the trip. 


      Dive accident insurance is required for all divers on this trip. We strongly recommend travel insurance to protect your vacation investment. Contact us if you need more information. 

      What’s included

      • 10 nights accommodations
        Double occupancy sharing a Suite, Master or Deluxe stateroom
      • Up to 4 dives a day
        Over 7 days of the trip
      • All meals and beverages
      • Puntarenas transfers
        From San Jose to the vessel

      What’s not included

      • Cocos Island park fee
        $490 USD + 13% tax (cash only)
      • Emergency Evacuation Fee
        $30 USD
      • San Jose hotel
        Night before the yacht departs
      • International flights
        Flights to Costa Rica
      • Enriched Air/Nitrox
        For Nitrox certified divers
      • Scuba equipment
        Only tanks and weights included; rental gear available
      • Tips
        Tips for the boat's excellent crew

      Available Packages

      Deluxe Stateroom

      Double bed (lower) and twin bed (upper) bunk-style, private facilities, mirrored cabinet, wardrobe, bathrobes, hairdryer, toiletries, fresh towels daily. 

      $5,699
      Deposit: $1,000
      Master Stateroom

      Queen bed, private facilities, monitor with media player, mirrored cabinet, full length mirror, wardrobe, bathrobes, hairdryer, toiletries, fresh towels daily.

      $5,999
      Deposit: $1,000
      Suite

      A large luxurious suite featuring a king bed, picture window, bamboo wood flooring, a 42 inch flat screen monitor with media player, private minibar/refrigerator, granite side table for private in-cabin dining, wood paneling, upholstered headboard, large bathroom with travertine floors, and separate glass enclosures for toilet and showers. 

      $6,699
      Deposit: $1,000


      Itinerary

      Tuesday, December 28
      Transfer from San Jose to Puntarenas and the Okeanos Aggressor II

      You should plan to arrive in San Jose by Monday, December 27 and stay overnight at one of the two host hotels in San Jose. On Tuesday morning, we will be transferred to Puntarenas where we will board the yacht and depart for Cocos Island.

      Your Organizer


      BP
      Blue Planet Scuba
      142 reviews
      Blue Planet is a different kind of scuba diving organization — aimed at providing the best education and experiences to divers in the Washington, DC area and beyond, while harnessing the excitement and adventure of scuba diving to help protect our fragile oceans.

      Reviews

      Heather & Jonas were excellent trip leaders making sure everyone was well taken care of. The Galapagos Aggressor had a super crew and the diving was challenging and stunning! We saw hammerheads, penguins, seals, sea lions & dolphins! I really appreciated the personal touches like our matching jackets and a cake for my birthday. I would highly recommend this trip.
      By Catherine W for Explore the Galapagos on Mar 02, 2024
      This review is belated, I know... ...But that only means I took **serious*** consideration into reviewing my experience with Blue Planet DC, and ranking them very highly. Its been almost a year since I was OW Certified with Blue Planet in Cozumel - my training during that trip was thorough enough to provide me with a solid foundation to continue scuba diving afterwards many, many times. The trip itinerary, accommodations, and overall pacing of the scuba lessons were incredibly well organized. The instructors were patient and attentive - at various times I was provided specific one-on-one, actionable feedback regarding things like my trim or my breathing rhythm impacting my buoyancy and what I could do to improve my technique. They made sure we knew our stuff before letting us loose into the ocean, and during our checkout dives they stayed closeby and kept a watchful eye on us, so I felt more at ease and safe. (Even with the drift moving us around!) My main priority for this trip was to learn how to scuba, but that said, there were opportunities at Cozumel to (after the day's lessons are done) be a tourist and explore the area. The resort itself is a very beautiful spot with relaxing, open air dining, lounge, and balcony areas as well as a fantastic view of the ocean horizon. I also really appreciated that lodging AND meals were included in this travel package - it saved me the trouble of having to figure that out on my own, which made a big difference by freeing up more time after each full day of lessons to just relax and chill. I know each trip is always different of course in terms of other group trip attendees you may end up with, so of course this can just be sheer dumb luck, but everyone else on this trip was chill. Even the more seasoned divers who were already certified and doing this for years were friendly and happy to drop useful advice or recount from their personal experiences how it was like them becoming certified the first time. The time I did this it was "drift diving" and of course that scared me a ton. But the PADI material that is mandatory to study goes over what drift diving is. When doing my checkout dive the drift didn't like, wash me away from the group dive route. You'll be under instructor supervision so people are keeping an eye on you, and the drift itself is mild - I didn't have to struggle against the current (if you've ever surfed, you'll see that this isn't at all like a riptide or undertow). If anything, managing your buoyancy will end up your primary concern or worry during the checkout dive. Hope this review helps anyone considering who to go with for getting certified on their first ever scuba trip! I'm very glad I went with Blue Planet.
      By M T for March Certification Weekend in Cozumel on Feb 19, 2024
      EM
      This was my first liveaboard! 🛥️ Anthony was a fantastic trip leader and teacher, as always! The Aquacat crew was fun, the food was delicious and the diving and excursions were great! I would definitely recommend this trip with Blue Planet, especially as a first liveaboard experience! I had a good time learning about sharks, too! 🦈
      By Elsbeth M for Ring in 2024 on a Liveaboard in the Bahamas! on Jan 15, 2024
      Thanks for joining on another amazing trip! Hopefully we will be on another fun trip in sharky waters soon.
      By Anthony White on Jan 17, 2024
      AW
      This was my first trip with Blue Planet and my first liveaboard - both were a great experience! The communication and prep from Blue Planet was excellent (pre-trip meeting was really helpful, paperwork was clear and organized). My husband and I are new divers and Anthony (trip lead from Blue Planet) was an invaluable resource - we learned a lot during the dives and felt safe with him looking out for us. The liveaboard itself was amazing. The bed was comfortable, the food was amazing, the staff were wonderful. This was one of the best trips of my life - it's going to be hard to top with the bar now set so high!
      By Rachel L for Ring in 2024 on a Liveaboard in the Bahamas! on Jan 08, 2024
      Thank you so much, Rachel! I am glad you and Ben had such a good time on the trip. You were both great divers, and I can't wait to see you on more of our trips. I look forward to diving with you some more!
      By Anthony White on Jan 13, 2024
      AW
      JR
      Had a great time diving, wonderful people and nice accommodations; hotel was super convenient to dive boats.
      By Jennifer R for December Certification Weekend in Cozumel on Dec 11, 2023
      Thank you so much, Jennifer! We’re so happy to hear how much you enjoyed the dive experience with Blue Planet in Cozumel. We look forward to you joining with us on a future trip!
      By Blue Planet Scuba on Dec 12, 2023
      BP
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