Isla del Coco National Park

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🦈 Schooling Hammerhead Shark Waters
🧭 Guide required ⏱ 10–12 days 🥾 Challenging trails
🌍 #182 Global · 3.5 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #32 in Central America #84 in Tropical Forest
Pacific Ocean, Costa Rica 206 spp. recorded

Isla del Coco is the ultimate bucket-list destination for shark encounters — home to the largest schools of scalloped hammerhead sharks on Earth. Located 532 km off Costa Rica's Pacific coast, this uninhabited volcanic island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the top 10 dive destinations in the world.

5.489° N   87.029° W

Wildlife

SIGHTING PROBABILITY Share of citizen-science records from the park that report this species
<5%
Rare 5–15%
With luck 15–40%
Possible 40–70%
Likely >70%
Very likely
ACTIVITY PATTERN
☀️ Diurnal 🌙 Nocturnal 🌅 Crepuscular ☀️🌙 Day & Night

⭐ Iconic Species

Scalloped Hammerhead ★

Scalloped Hammerhead

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Sphyrna lewini

70–80% · Very likely
Whitetip Reef Shark ★

Whitetip Reef Shark

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Triaenodon obesus

90–100% · Very likely
Oceanic Manta Ray ★

Oceanic Manta Ray

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Mobula birostris

Insufficient data
Whale Shark ★

Whale Shark

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Rhincodon typus

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Cocos Finch
LC Endemic

Cocos Finch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pinaroloxias inornata

90–100% · Very likely
Red-footed Booby
LC

Red-footed Booby

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sula sula

90–100% · Very likely
Great Frigatebird
LC

Great Frigatebird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Fregata minor

90–100% · Very likely
Blotched Fantail Ray

Blotched Fantail Ray

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Taeniurops meyeni

80–90% · Very likely
Cocos Flycatcher
VU Endemic

Cocos Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nesotriccus ridgwayi

80–90% · Very likely
White Tern
LC

White Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gygis alba

70–80% · Very likely
Whimbrel
LC

Whimbrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Numenius phaeopus

70–80% · Very likely
Semipalmated Plover
LC

Semipalmated Plover

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Charadrius semipalmatus

60–70% · Likely
Brown Noddy
LC

Brown Noddy

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anous stolidus

60–70% · Likely
Townsend's Anole
LC Endemic

Townsend's Anole

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Anolis townsendi

60–70% · Likely
Yellow Warbler
LC Endemic

Yellow Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga petechia

50–60% · Likely
Osprey
LC

Osprey

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pandion haliaetus

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

White-tailed Deer
LC Endemic

White-tailed Deer

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Odocoileus virginianus

40–50% · Likely
Bottlenose Dolphin
LC

Bottlenose Dolphin

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Tursiops truncatus

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Cocos Finch
LC Endemic

Cocos Finch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pinaroloxias inornata

90–100% · Very likely
Red-footed Booby
LC

Red-footed Booby

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sula sula

90–100% · Very likely
Great Frigatebird
LC

Great Frigatebird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Fregata minor

90–100% · Very likely
Cocos Flycatcher
VU Endemic

Cocos Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nesotriccus ridgwayi

80–90% · Very likely
White Tern
LC

White Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gygis alba

70–80% · Very likely
Whimbrel
LC

Whimbrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Numenius phaeopus

70–80% · Very likely
Semipalmated Plover
LC

Semipalmated Plover

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Charadrius semipalmatus

60–70% · Likely
Brown Noddy
LC

Brown Noddy

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anous stolidus

60–70% · Likely
Yellow Warbler
LC Endemic

Yellow Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga petechia

50–60% · Likely
Osprey
LC

Osprey

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pandion haliaetus

50–60% · Likely
Wandering Tattler
LC

Wandering Tattler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa incana

50–60% · Likely
Cocos Cuckoo
VU Endemic

Cocos Cuckoo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coccyzus ferrugineus

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Townsend's Anole
LC Endemic

Townsend's Anole

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Anolis townsendi

60–70% · Likely
Hawksbill
CR

Hawksbill

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Eretmochelys imbricata

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

⭐ Iconic Species

Scalloped Hammerhead ★

Scalloped Hammerhead

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Sphyrna lewini

70–80% · Very likely
Whitetip Reef Shark ★

Whitetip Reef Shark

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Triaenodon obesus

90–100% · Very likely
Oceanic Manta Ray ★

Oceanic Manta Ray

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Mobula birostris

Insufficient data
Whale Shark ★

Whale Shark

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Rhincodon typus

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Blotched Fantail Ray

Blotched Fantail Ray

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Taeniurops meyeni

80–90% · Very likely
Galápagos Shark

Galápagos Shark

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Carcharhinus galapagensis

Insufficient data
White-spotted Eagle Ray

White-spotted Eagle Ray

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Aetobatus ocellatus

Insufficient data
Silvertip Shark

Silvertip Shark

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Carcharhinus albimarginatus

Insufficient data
Chilean Torpedo

Chilean Torpedo

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Tetronarce tremens

Insufficient data
Blacktip Reef Shark

Blacktip Reef Shark

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Carcharhinus melanopterus

Insufficient data
Tiger Shark

Tiger Shark

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Galeocerdo cuvier

Insufficient data
Pacific Eagle Ray

Pacific Eagle Ray

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Aetobatus laticeps

Insufficient data
Leopard Round Ray

Leopard Round Ray

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Urobatis pardalis

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🦈

Whale Shark Season

JulAugSep

The whale shark, the largest fish in the ocean, glides through Cocos waters with its cavernous mouth agape, straining plankton from the current. Sightings rise with the wet-season plankton bloom that draws these gentle giants in to feed.

Whale Shark

Whale Shark

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Rhincodon typus

Insufficient data
🦈

Hammerhead Shark Aggregation

JunJulAugSepOctNov

Hundreds of scalloped hammerheads mass together in the cool currents sweeping past the island, stacking into the shimmering 'walls of sharks' that made Cocos legendary. The congregations swirl around seamounts and cleaning stations, and cluster densely during the wet-season currents.

Scalloped Hammerhead

Scalloped Hammerhead

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Sphyrna lewini

70–80% · Very likely
🐟

Giant Manta Ray Season

DecJanFebMar

Giant oceanic mantas soar onto Cocos cleaning stations, hovering with wings outstretched while smaller fish pick them clean, often joined by Pacific eagle rays sweeping the same waters. The calmer, clearer dry-season window is the best time to watch these graceful giants spiral overhead.

Pacific Eagle Ray

Pacific Eagle Ray

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Aetobatus laticeps

Insufficient data
Oceanic Manta Ray

Oceanic Manta Ray

☀️ Diurnal Shark / Ray

Mobula birostris

Insufficient data
🐦

Seabird Nesting Colonies

MarAprMayJun

Cocos erupts with breeding seabirds as red-footed boobies and great frigatebirds crowd the cliffs and treetops in noisy nesting colonies. Among them, delicate white terns lay their single egg here at the only regular nesting site in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.

Great Frigatebird
LC

Great Frigatebird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Fregata minor

90–100% · Very likely
Red-footed Booby
LC

Red-footed Booby

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sula sula

90–100% · Very likely
White Tern
LC

White Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gygis alba

70–80% · Very likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Species Total
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
60–70
60–70
Scalloped Hammerhead
90–100
90–100
50–60
70–80
70–80
40–50
40–50
80–90
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
Whitetip Reef Shark
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
Oceanic Manta Ray
40–50
30–40
20–30
30–40
30–40
50–60
50–60
30–40
30–40
30–40
20–30
20–30
Whale Shark
0–10
10–20
10–20
20–30
10–20
10–20
50–60
10–20
20–30
20–30
10–20
10–20
Cocos Finch
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
Red-footed Booby
90–100
90–100
80–90
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
Great Frigatebird
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
Blotched Fantail Ray
90–100
90–100
60–70
80–90
80–90
90–100
80–90
80–90
80–90
80–90
80–90
80–90
Cocos Flycatcher
80–90
80–90
90–100
90–100
80–90
90–100
80–90
80–90
70–80
60–70
70–80
80–90
White Tern
70–80
80–90
80–90
90–100
80–90
80–90
70–80
70–80
90–100
70–80
40–50
40–50
Whimbrel
70–80
70–80
70–80
80–90
80–90
80–90
70–80
70–80
80–90
70–80
60–70
80–90
Semipalmated Plover
60–70
70–80
70–80
60–70
50–60
40–50
60–70
60–70
80–90
70–80
50–60
80–90
Brown Noddy
60–70
60–70
70–80
60–70
70–80
70–80
60–70
60–70
80–90
70–80
40–50
40–50
Townsend's Anole
70–80
50–60
80–90
50–60
50–60
40–50
70–80
50–60
50–60
50–60
40–50
40–50
Yellow Warbler
50–60
60–70
60–70
50–60
60–70
60–70
50–60
50–60
80–90
50–60
30–40
40–50
Osprey
50–60
50–60
50–60
30–40
60–70
30–40
50–60
50–60
60–70
50–60
70–80
30–40
Animal Events
🦈 Whale Shark Season
🦈 Hammerhead Shark Aggregation
🐦 Seabird Nesting Colonies
🐟 Giant Manta Ray Season

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Good
🦈 Schooling Hammerhead Shark Waters

Where Wildlife Score

How good is this park for seeing wildlife?
🦜

Biodiversity

Good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg
2.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds
153
🐒 Mammals
32
🦎 Reptiles
8
🐸 Amphibians
0
🦈 Sharks & Rays
13
206 Total Species
841 Global average across 280 parks
17 Threatened 14 Endemic
🔭

Sighting

Excellent

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg
4.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
62% Global avg
82%
📊
Coverage (82 species at ≥5% of 206 in the inventory)
24% Global avg
40%
🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (8 bird, 3 elasmobranch, 1 reptile)
47% Global avg
65%
🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
132 Global avg
65
🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
14 Global avg
3
⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
26 Global avg
23
⚖️

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