Isla de Coco: a tropical paradise

Somewhere off the coast of Costa Rica there is a paradise-island called Isla de Coco—Cocos Island.

This stunning piece of land—which is designated as a National Park—is surrounded by deep waters that are home to Hammerhead sharks, rays, dolphins and other large marine species.

Isla de Coco was declared cultural heritage site by UNESCO in 1997, and in 2009 it was designated one of the “New 7 Wonders of Nature”.

In addition, thanks to the marine life habiting its waters, Cocos enjoys the reputation of being one of the best 10 scuba diving spots in the world.

The island is so beautiful and well preserved as no humans are allowed to live there; a part, of course, from the Costa Rican Park Rangers, who have established two encampments in order to safe guard the island 24/7.

Tourists are obviously allowed to disembark on the white sandy beaches, but only after the rangers granted the permission to. Staying over night is prohibited.

As I mentioned above, the waters surrounding Isla de Coco are home to sharks, humpback whales, sea turtles, dolphins, giant mantas, sailfish and many other marine species.

Needless to say that divers feel like they are in paradise when they swim in those waters. A part from the wonderful creatures, the underwater landscape features a rich coral reef, volcanic tunnels, caves, and massifs.

However, the ocean is not the only place where you can find beautiful creatures. Indeed, thanks to the mild climate, the island is covered by dense and exuberant tropical forests that are habited by a large number of animal and plant species.

According to geologists, the island was never linked to a continent, so the flora and fauna arrived via long distance dispersal from North and South America.

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