Cocos Island Costa Rica

With almost 46.6 square kilometers,

24 kilometers of coastline

located two hundred and seventy miles Southeast of Costa Rica

Cocos Island represents a world known nature’s jewel which the memorable Jacques Ives Cousteau(1910-1997):

scientific oceanograph,

professional diver,

filming director of sealife documentals,

brougth up this island worldwide through the communication media together with his Calypsus’ Ship crew , in the late 80’s.

Cousteau

”the most beautiful island in the world…”

Michael Crichton

Wrote “Jurassic Park” with this place in mind.

Cocos Island was inscribed as WORLD

HERITAGE SITE in 1997 by UNESCO

More recently it has been nominated as

candidate of the 2nd phase in the

www.new7wonders.com world contest.

Exuberant vegetation typical of the tropical rainy climates and high level of rainfall generates abundant rivers of fresh and crystalline waters that cascade into the sea in waterfalls of extraordinary beauty.

A rugged shaped coastline full of steep cliffs, turns the island

in an almost impregnable fortress which rises over 500 feet

above sea level.

The only points of access are two bays: Chatham Bay and

Wafer Bay, which are separated from each other by the

“Presidio” Peninsula.

Mount Iglesias which reaches an altitude of 2178 feet over

the sea, is the island’s highest peak.

Since Cocos Island is first mentioned in 1541 in Nicolás Desliens cartographic map, it is assumed that it was discovered before that date.

Nevertheless, its exact date of discovery is not known.

In Desliens’ map it is identified as “Coques”

It is said that Cocos Island owes its name to the abundance of coconut palms and fruit.

A captain by the name of Colnett mentioned having loaded 2000 coconuts onto his ship on a visit to the island in 1793.

  Fifty-nine species of fish, ninety-seven molluscs, fifty-seven crustaceans, two lizards and seven land birds have been reported.

The island has seventy-four species of birds, including three that are endemic: the Cocos Island Flycatcher,  Cocos Island Finch, & the Cocos Island Cuckoo

One of the most startling beautiful of all the birds that visit the island for nesting is the “Espíritu Santo” (White Tern) a small white species which often hovers in the air just a few feet above one’s head, totally unafraid of visit.

During the XVI, XVII, and XVIII centuries, the island served as refuge for pirates and whalers, and the occasional military reconnaissance mission.

Among some of the most notorious pirates which are said to have used the island as a refuge and supposedly buried their treasures there are:

• Captains Morgan, • Edward Davis, • William Thompson.

Today, there is widespread belief that there really is a great treasure buried in the island.

That the island’s greatest treasures are:

its tropical beautyits paradisiacal waters its exuberant flora and

fauna PATRIMONY OF

HUMANITY.