Cocos Island Trip

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Isla del Coco

I was invited to join a trip to Cocos Island and assist biologists from the Universidad de Costa Rica, Centro de Investigacion en Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, CIMAR - (Marine Science and Limnology Research Center) aboard the M/V Proteus from Marviva (www.marviva.net). Cocos Island is a small unique island over 300 miles from the coast of Costa Rica, located in the same marine corridor as the Galapagos.

The trip included a little bit of everything. Diving every day, patrolling the marine protected area, removing the longlines - releasing the animals and even a rescue of a crew from a small fishing vessel that sunk 40 miles away from the island. The photos probably tell the stories better than I can, so I posted a lot. Just click on the photo to view it larger. Enjoy.

Also check a video of the trip at Video of Cocos Island on Proteus

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Photos

the nucleus
these will be used to help write the history of the island

Silvertip
After spending 45 minutes with these beautiful creatures circling us and passing super close, we had to pull ourselves away to get some work done...

releasing a tuna
retrieving longlines found inside the park waters - we released the animals that were found on the hooks

pobrecito
longline fishing is a fishing method where lines, sometimes hundreds of miles long, with baited hooks are set in the water. Even though the fisherman may only be targeting one species, everything is caught. Many sharks, turtles and dolphins fall victim to this fishing method.

Juvenile thresher shark
this one was dead on the line - two others threshers were alive - all juveniles. Thresher sharks circle a school of fish until they form a tight ball, they then use their tail to smack the middle of the school, stunning several fish. They then casually eat the stunned fish.

do you see something out there?
everyone was on deck looking for the fishing boat. Only one call came across the radio, "estamos hundiendo" (we're sinking)- another fishing boat hear the call and radioed it in to the island - we pulled anchor and set out 40 miles from the island to search for the crew.

Comments

[Bettina]

Good people
Tanya, I am so proud to have a friend like you! We need more people like you taking such a huge interest in nature and saving the environment. You are fabulous! Love, B. x

[Joost den Boer]

nice trip
Hi Tanja, Looks like a very cool trip. I would not mind doing something like that myself. Too bad it was in the same time we were in Coco and wse didn't meet. We met your ant though at a party of Terry and Billy. Regards, Joost