A taste of Cocos and Malpelo Islands

[BlueFrog]

Great Shots, I had the same problem of warm water with no current on my first trip as well. My advice is go back as soon as you can!!! Try to go late summer like August or September because you get more reliable current flows that time of year. More current equals more critters like Hammers and even whalesharks. I'd love to see more of your pictures. The dive shop I use here in Ohio is going back to just Cocos in late Summer 09 if you are interested.

 

[matt215]

i have heard that this year is a la nina year and it should be better for currents, critters, etc. does anyone know how long this lasts if in face it is occurring?
by the way, love the school of hammers shot from above. usually see them from below, but this was a nice perspective ... i guess a result of the warmer water on top.

 

[Rickg]

Great pics - looking forward to reading your trip report.

 

[mig_diver]

i love hammerheads!

 

[mjh]

mat215 we had high hopes for the La Nina. We had hoped the cooler water during the dry season might give us the best of both worlds, great viz and schools in shallower water. But the "good/hot/calm" weather might have offset this. Again let me say we had an excellent trip, good action, good viz. But with Cocos you never know, the boat that followed us by just two days to Malpelo and Cocos felt they did not see much and basically no sharks at Malpelo.

As BlueFrog said we went in September a year and half ago, rainy season. It did rain every day, conditions were challenging but it made for excellent action. But you never know what is going to happen out there.

 

[prskate2]

WOW, that is so many eels! Great pics. Keep them coming.

 

[matt215]

did you dive open circuit or rebreather? you were able to get really close to those hammers. good job!
how deep were the photos of the schools taken?

 

[mjh]

No rebreather but the subject always comes up after a day or two. I just can't imagine traveling with a rebreather, still and video set ups. In Cocos you will end up breaking just about every "rule" of diving. You will hold your breath (or breathe in and out really, really, really, slowly). If you are lucky you will strenuously work out between dives chasing bait-balls on snorkels. You will end up doing a reverse profiles and you will hold on to and wedge into the reef to keep from getting tossed around.

Alycon the schools were from 100fsw to about 50 but we had tough viz there. At Dirty Rock they were from 80 to 125fsw. The green shot I was at about 90 at Alcyon and the other is Dirty Rock and I was around 120fsw.

 

[H2O Photo Pros]

Excellent shots, I want to go there so bad. Im jealous! HAHAHA

 

[mjh]

Well Mike wait until you see some of the video we got with the HC7 and Gates set-up we got from you. I am finishing our long version about 1 hour and now will try to get some short clips on whatever has replaced Stage6.