Cocos or Galapagos

[peeweediver]

I posted this question on the Central America site and got nothing. Any thoughts here?

I wasn't sure to which forum I should post this, so I'm starting with this one. Here's a "bucket list" question. If your sole purpose for a trip was to get as much hammerhead interaction, best visibility, most sightings up, down, and sideways and for the most days out of 7 would you go to the Galapagos or Cocos Island? I'm seeking SB opinions, conjecture, pure speculation. Thanks.

Rob

 

[diver_dj]

I saw more Hammerheads than I could count during my week on a liveaboard in the Galapagos earlier this year. Never been to Cocos Island so I can't comment on that one.

 

[DiveTheGalapagos]

You need to go to Galapagos in high season to maximize your enjoyment. For hammerheads, avoid Feb, March and April to get the largest populations. You should see thousands in a couple of days of diving. The hammerheads are not as deep in Galapagos as Cocos because the water is cooler in Galapagos and hammerheads like cooler water so go deeper in Cocos. In high season, however, the water is not as warm nor is visibility as good as in Cocos. But, when you have hundreds of hammerheads parading 15-20 ft in front of you, as long as the visibility is at least 30-40 ft, what's beyond doesn't matter.

It's an overnight navigation from the central islands to the north in Galapagos. You go to sleep and wake up in either Darwin or Wolf, depending on the boat's itinerary. It's a 36 hr + crossing in Cocos....each way. Galapagos has more species in general. But Cocos is warm and tropical, so no 7mm wetsuits necessary. Galapagos can be surprisingly cool in high season (July-mid Nov), considering it's on the equator, because of the polar Humboldt current. But that current brings the nutrients that support the explosion of marine life. You would probably regret not bringing a fleece jacket during those months. And 7mm is necessary because of cold thermoclines at all but Darwin. Galapagos has large populations of Galapagos sharks, too, but Tigers (like you might see in Cocos) are rare. Galapagos does not have the white tipped reef shark feeding frenzy that you can do on a Cocos night dive nor the incredibly pricey but incredible experience of the submarine that you can often do in Cocos. Sept-mid Nov almost guarantees sighting many whale sharks in Galapagos, not as common in Cocos. And Galapagos is the only place on the planet where most of the whale sharks you see are gigantic pregnant females. Then there are also penguins, mantas, various rays, rare shorebirds, orcas, dolphins, etc in Galapagos, too. Yes, I'm biased but the above are additional considerations.

I posted this question on the Central America site and got nothing. Any thoughts here?

I wasn't sure to which forum I should post this, so I'm starting with this one. Here's a "bucket list" question. If your sole purpose for a trip was to get as much hammerhead interaction, best visibility, most sightings up, down, and sideways and for the most days out of 7 would you go to the Galapagos or Cocos Island? I'm seeking SB opinions, conjecture, pure speculation. Thanks.

Rob

 

[peeweediver]

Thanks for posting responses. I'm off to DEMA next week with the shop I teach with and we'll spend lots of time on this question. We have to think about our travel customers, but I also want to be a bit selfish about seeing my beloved hammerheads. Because we're in Chicago and dive Lake Michigan, a 7 mm is not a problem.
Rob

 

[Oceanshutter]

First off, I haven't been to Cocos. however, it seems everyone I meet that has been to cocos, it is their favorite dive locattion they have been to. Having said that, it is pretty much a shark destination. not too much else.

I recently came back from Galapagos from an August trip. And well, we saw.......everything. The underwater diversity is just unreal. not to mention the topside stuff as well. If you go, make sure to spend a few days doing some land tours....N seymour is a must.

Just underwater, we saw, hundred of hammerheads, galapagos sharks, silkys, white tips, tons of turtles (over a hunderd), manta, iguanas underwater (hundreds), penquins, sea lions, loads of schools of fish, dolphins, mola mola, redlipped batfish, whale shark....and yes orcas! Plus alot more. It was cold water, but a 7mm and a 5mm worked great for me, in water that was 58 on one day, the rest it was 65-72.

Galapagos is great, you won't regret either location. galapagos is just more diverse.
If you want to check out a video I put out for the marine iguana dive. Here it is.

[video=vimeo;78419332]https://vimeo.com/78419332[/video]