A new diving liveaboard, the 38m Cocos Island Aggressor, is being custom-built to begin 10-night cruises to the remote UNESCO World Heritage Pacific location on 13 January next year.
The four-level luxury dive yacht, which will be based in Puntarenas in Costa Rica, is designed to accommodate up to 22 passengers in 11 spacious staterooms with, says Aggressor Adventures, their “comfort, safety and indulgences” in mind.
The operator says that onboard amenities will include a sun deck with hot tub, two guest lounges, restaurant, spacious dive deck and a computer station for editing underwater photos and videos. The cabins include baths and individual climate control.
Many of Cocos Island Aggressor’s eight staff have had previous experience in this part of the world from working aboard the long-serving Okeanos Aggressor I and II, which will continue to take divers out to Cocos.
Pelagic spectacles
Cocos Island, a 1,100km round-trip from the mainland, is renowned among scuba divers for the big pelagic underwater experiences it offers. Aggressor provides access to 21 dives in the nutrient-rich and fast-flowing waters around underwater seamounts that attract large schools of fish, giant marble rays, tuna, whitetip, Galapagos and schooling hammerhead sharks, as well as manta rays and whale sharks.
When conditions allow, the staff can shuttle divers to the island for hiking and swimming in waterfall pools, and guests are also offered the option of extending their holiday in mainland Costa Rica, with rainforest tours, whitewater rafting or surfing if required.
“Cocos has been an Aggressor Adventures destination since 1988, and many of our clients have experienced the adrenaline rush of diving here,” says the operator’s chairman and CEO Wayne Brown. “The Cocos Island Aggressor raises the bar of liveaboard accommodations.”
An introductory offer for new individual and group bookings made up to 30 April this year promises US $700 savings on trips between 14 January and 30 May 2023. Double-occupancy rates for that period are $5,499 (deluxe) and $5,799 (master stateroom) – from 3 June to the end of 2024, that rises to $6,599 and $6,949 respectively.
Cocos Island Aggressor reservations can be made online. See also: Aggressor Dives Deep South Sudan and Egypt on Divernet.
