Heritage sites, Archaeological discoveries, History of Archaeology

Cocos Island National Park

Location

Province of Puntarenas

Country

Costa Rica

Year of Research

1997

Culture

Cocos Island National Park is situated at 550 km off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

It is the one and only island in the tropical eastern Pacific with a tropical rainforest.

Its position as the first point of contact with the northern equatorial counter-current, and the myriad interactions between the island and the surrounding marine ecosystem, make the area an unique laboratory for the study of biological processes.

The underwater world of the national park has become famous for the attraction it holds for divers, who rate it as one of the best places in the world to view huge pelagic species such as sharks, rays, tuna and dolphins.

The Committee inscribed Cocos Island National Park under natural criteria (ix) and (x) because of the critical habitats the site gives for marine wildlife which includes large pelagic species, especially sharks.