View source for Cocos Island

{{Short description|Island designated as a National Park off the shore of Costa Rica}}
{{About|the east Pacific island|the Indian Ocean islands|Cocos (Keeling) Islands|other uses}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Cocos Island National Park
| iucn_category = II
| photo = Isla del coco.jpg
| photo_caption = Cocos Island
| map = Central America
| map_caption = Location in Central America
| map_width = 220
| relief = 1
| coordinates = {{coords|05|31|41|N|87|03|40|W|display=inline,title}}
| location = Approximately 550&nbsp;km (340&nbsp;mi) off the shore of [[Costa Rica]]
| established = 1978
| embedded1 = 
  {{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
  |child = yes
  |ID = 820
  |Year = 1997
  |Extension = 2002
  |Criteria = Natural: ix, x
  }}
{{Designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = Ramsar
| designation1_offname = Isla del Coco
| designation1_date = 10 April 1998
| designation1_number = 940<ref>{{Cite web|title=Isla del Coco|website=[[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/940|access-date=25 April 2018|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141736/https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/940|url-status=live}}</ref>}} 
}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Isla del Coco
| settlement_type         = [[Districts of Costa Rica|District]]
| pushpin_map             = Costa Rica
| pushpin_map_alt         = Isla del Coco district location in Costa Rica
| pushpin_map_caption     = Isla del Coco district location in Costa Rica
| coordinates             = 
| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|type=point|title=Isla del Coco district|zoom=12}}
| map_alt = Isla del Coco district
| map_caption = Isla del Coco district
| image_skyline =
| image_alt =
| image_caption =
| established_title       = Creation
| established_date        = 27 April 1970
| subdivision_type        = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name        = {{CRI}}
| subdivision_type1       = [[Provinces of Costa Rica|Province]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[Puntarenas Province|Puntarenas]]
| subdivision_type2       = [[Cantons of Costa Rica|Canton]]
| subdivision_name2       = [[Puntarenas (canton)|Puntarenas]]
| area_total_km2          = 23.52
| elevation_m             = 0
| population_total        = 
| population_as_of        = 2011
| population_density_km2  = auto
| timezone1               = [[UTC−06:00]]
| postal_code_type        = Postal code
| postal_code             = 60110
}}
'''Cocos Island''' ({{langx|es|Isla del Coco}}) is a [[volcanic island]] in the [[Pacific Ocean]] administered by [[Costa Rica]], approximately {{convert|550|km|mi nmi|0|abbr=on}} southwest of the Costa Rican mainland.<ref>Hogue, C. and Miller, S. 1981. Entomofauna of Cocos Island, Costa Rica. Atoll Research Bulletin 250: 1–29.</ref> It constitutes the 11th<ref name=islacoco>{{cite web|url=http://www.islacoco.com/es/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5&Itemid=6|title=Isla Coco|access-date=2007-06-27|archive-url=https://archive.today/20070929014902/http://www.islacoco.com/es/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5&Itemid=6|archive-date=2007-09-29|url-status=dead}}</ref> of the 15 districts of [[Puntarenas Canton]] of the [[Puntarenas Province|Province of Puntarenas]].<ref name="divadm">{{cite web |language=es |title=Declara oficial para efectos administrativos, la aprobación de la División Territorial Administrativa de la República N°41548-MGP |url=http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?param1=NRTC&nValor1=1&nValor2=88416&nValor3=115607&param2=1&strTipM=TC&lResultado=1&strSim=simp |website=Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica |access-date=26 September 2020 |date=19 March 2019 |archive-date=24 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224063957/https://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?param1=NRTC&nValor1=1&nValor2=88416&nValor3=115607&param2=1&strTipM=TC&lResultado=1&strSim=simp |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="dta2017">{{cite book|language=es|title=División Territorial Administrativa de la República de Costa Rica|date=8 March 2017|publisher=Editorial Digital de la Imprenta Nacional|isbn=978-9977-58-477-5|url=https://www.imprentanacional.go.cr/editorialdigital/libros/historiaygeografia/division_17.pdf|access-date=3 October 2020|archive-date=16 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916053733/https://www.imprentanacional.go.cr/editorialdigital/libros/historiaygeografia/division_17.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> With an area of approximately {{convert|23.85|km2|2|abbr=on}}, the island is roughly rectangular in shape. It is the [[Extreme points of North America|southernmost point]] of geopolitical [[North America]] if [[Island#Continental islands|non-continental islands]] are included, and the only landmass above water on the [[Cocos Plate|Cocos tectonic plate]].

The entirety of Cocos Island has been designated a Costa Rican [[National Parks of Costa Rica|National Park]] since 1978, and has no permanent inhabitants other than Costa Rican park rangers. While previously being portrayed as the largest uninhabited island within the tropics, this has been labeled a false claim, as the island of Fernandina in the Galapagos archipelago is also uninhabited and far larger in area.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/stream/The_Times_News_Idaho_Newspaper_2000_08_03/The_Times_News_Idaho_Newspaper_2000_08_03_djvu.txt | title=The Times News (Idaho Newspaper) 2000-08-03 | date=3 August 2000 }}</ref> Surrounded by deep waters with [[Equatorial Counter Current|counter-currents]], Cocos Island is admired by [[Scuba set|scuba]] divers for its populations of [[hammerhead shark]]s, [[Batoidea|rays]], [[dolphins]] and other large marine species. The wet climate and oceanic qualities give Cocos an ecological character that is not shared with either the [[Galápagos Islands|Galápagos Archipelago]] or any of the other islands (for example, [[Malpelo Island|Malpelo]], [[Gorgona, Colombia|Gorgona]] or [[Coiba]]) in the eastern Pacific Ocean.<ref>Kirkendall, L. and Jordal, B. 2006. The bark and ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae, Scolytinae) of Cocos Island, Costa Rica and the role of mating systems in island zoogeography. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 89(4): 729–743.</ref> Because of the unique ecology of the island and its surrounding waters, Cocos Island National Park became a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] in 1997.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/820 |title = Cocos Island National Par |website = United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization |access-date = 13 May 2021 |archive-date = 24 December 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181224225823/http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/820 |url-status = live }}</ref> The island can only be reached by sea, which usually takes 36 to 48 hours.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-31 |title=Cocos Island - Dive with Sharks in Costa Rica |url=https://www.costaricavibes.com/cocos-island/ |access-date=2023-07-12 |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-07-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230712190626/https://www.costaricavibes.com/cocos-island/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
==History==
===Prehistory===
The island is believed to have been uninhabited by humans prior to European discovery.<ref name="pit">{{Cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/6999933|title=Mystery Islands of Remote East Polynesia: Bibliography of Prehistoric Settlement on the Pitcairn Islands Group|first=Don|last=Macnaughtan|date=February 1, 2014|journal=Wordpress: Don Macnaughtan's Bibliographies|via=www.academia.edu|access-date=March 20, 2022|archive-date=March 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319013419/https://www.academia.edu/6999933|url-status=live}}</ref> However, there has been little archaeological investigation into [[Island#Oceanic islands|oceanic]] eastern Pacific islands, including Cocos Island.<ref name="press"/> This is due to the fragile environments on such islands, which for many years have been untouched by humans, and because these islands are at a considerable distance from islands that had [[Polynesia]]n populations.<ref name="press">{{Cite book |last1=Flett |first1=Iona |title=Islands of Inquiry |last2=Haberle |first2=Simon |date=2008 |publisher=ANU Press |isbn=978-1-921313-89-9 |editor-last=Clark |editor-first=Geoffrey |pages=281–300 |chapter=East of Easter: Traces of human impact in the far-eastern Pacific |citeseerx=10.1.1.593.8988 |hdl=1885/38139 |jstor=j.ctt24h8gp.20 |editor-last2=Leach |editor-first2=Foss |editor-last3=O'Connor |editor-first3=Sue |chapter-url=http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p26551/pdf/ch181.pdf |access-date=2022-03-20 |archive-date=2021-12-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231001343/http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p26551/pdf/ch181.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Likewise, [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indigenous Americans]] on the west coast of the continent were not known to inhabit any remote eastern Pacific islands.<ref>{{cite web|title = Threatened avifauna of the Juan Fernández archipelago, Chile: the impact of introduced mammals and conservation priorities| url = https://www.neotropicalbirdclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Cotinga-17-2002-66-72.pdf|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220618012155/https://www.neotropicalbirdclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Cotinga-17-2002-66-72.pdf |archive-date=2022-06-18 }}</ref> In 2008, Cocos Island, the [[Desventuradas Islands]], [[Galápagos Islands]] and [[Juan Fernández Islands]] (all uninhabited when discovered by Europeans) were surveyed by archaeologists from the [[Australian National University]]. Their investigation found that the Galápagos Islands may have been visited by a Polynesian vessel, but it is unclear what their findings were for Cocos Island.<ref name="press"/>

===Discovery and early cartography===
[[File:Map of Cocos from Pacific Islands, vol. 2 (Geographical Handbook Series, 1943).jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|Cocos Island]]
In his ''Historia general y natural de las Indias'' (1535, expanded in 1851 from his previously unpublished papers),<ref name=AmadorEdition>{{cite book |url=http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra-visor/historia-general-y-natural-de-las-indias-islas-y-tierrafirme-del-mar-oceano-primera-parte--0/html/014747fa-82b2-11df-acc7-002185ce6064_4.htm |title=Historia general y natural de las Indias |first=Gonzalo |last=Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés |author-link=Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés |editor=José Amador de los Ríos |editor-link=José Amador de los Ríos |publisher=La [[Real Academia de la Historia]] |orig-year=1535 |date=1851 |location=[[Madrid]] |via=[[Miguel de Cervantes Virtual Library]] |access-date=2020-07-15 |archive-date=2021-01-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109064407/http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra-visor/historia-general-y-natural-de-las-indias-islas-y-tierrafirme-del-mar-oceano-primera-parte--0/html/014747fa-82b2-11df-acc7-002185ce6064_4.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés]] discusses the discovery of the island by his contemporary, Spanish navigator Juan de Cabezas (also known as Juan de Grado), in 1526.<ref>J. Lines, ''Diario de Costa Rica'', May 12, 1940</ref> D. Lievre, ''Una isla desierta en el Pacífico; la isla del Coco'' in ''Los viajes de Cockburn y Lievre por Costa Rica'' (1962: 134) tells that the first document with the name "Isle de Coques" is a map painted on [[parchment]], called that of [[Henry II of France|Henry II]], that appeared in 1542 during the reign of [[Francis I of France]]. The [[planisphere]] of Nicolas Desliens (1556, Dieppe) places this ''Ysle de Coques'' about one and a half degrees north of the [[Equator]].

[[Willem Blaeu]]'s ''Grand Atlas'', originally published in 1662, has a colour world map on the back of its front cover which shows ''I. de Cocos'' right on the Equator. Frederik De Witt's ''Atlas, 1680'' shows it similarly. The ''[[Jodocus Hondius|Hondius]] Broadside map'' of 1590 shows ''I. de Cocos'' at 2 degrees and 30 minutes north latitude, while in 1596 [[Theodore de Bry]] showed the Galápagos Islands near [[6th parallel north|6 degrees north]] of the Equator. [[Emanuel Bowen]], in ''A Complete system of Geography'', Volume II (London, 1747: 586), states that the Galápagos islands stretch [[5th parallel north|5 degrees north]] of the Equator.

The island in modern times has been thickly overgrown with jungle. "That the island formerly merited its descriptive name, however, is apparent from the verbal accounts given to Captain [[William Dampier]] by the contemporary Spanish discoverers. Dampier writes: 'The Island Cocos is so named by the Spaniards, because there are abundances of Coco-Nut Trees growing on it'...prehistoric planters must have found the location of Cocos Island worthy of the vast amount of labor spent in clearing the natural jungle for the planting of coconuts...make it an ideal port of call for aboriginal merchants trafficking the open sea off Panama.<ref>Thor Heyerdahl ''Early Man and the Ocean'' pp 277 ff.</ref>

With the notable exception of the Galápagos Islands, there was a lack of scientific research into oceanic eastern Pacific islands prior to the 20th century. Publication ''The American Naturalist'' stated in 1891, "we know nothing at all about the fauna and flora of the isolated [[Clipperton Island]] and [[Malpelo Island|Malpelo]]; we hardly know anything about Cocos Island, which seems to be in many respects quite different from the others, having a more tropical appearance."<ref>{{cite book |title=The American Naturalist: Volume 25, Part 1 |date=1891 |publisher=Princeton University |page=311 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nmxNAAAAYAAJ&dq=Clipperton+Island,+the+Gal%C3%A1pagos+Islands+and+the+Juan+Fern%C3%A1ndez+Islands&pg=PA311 |access-date=17 April 2022 |archive-date=20 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231120215124/https://books.google.com/books?id=nmxNAAAAYAAJ&dq=Clipperton+Island,+the+Gal%C3%A1pagos+Islands+and+the+Juan+Fern%C3%A1ndez+Islands&pg=PA311 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Administrative history===

Cocos Island was annexed by [[Costa Rica]] in 1832 by decree No. 54 of the Constitutional Assembly of the newly independent country. [[Whaler]]s stopped regularly at Cocos Island until the mid-19th century, when inexpensive [[kerosene]] started to replace whale oil for lighting.

In October 1863, the ship ''Adelante'' [[Marooning|marooned]] 426 [[Tongans|Tongan]] former [[Blackbirding|slaves]] on the island when it was discovered that they had contracted [[smallpox]] and were a danger to her crew. By the time the vessel ''Tumbes'' arrived to rescue them one month later, only 38 survivors were found, the rest having perished from smallpox (see [[ʻAta]]).

In 1897, the Costa Rican government named the German adventurer and treasure hunter [[August Gissler]] the first Governor of Cocos Island and allowed him to establish a short-lived colony there.

On May 12, 1970, the insular territory of Cocos Island was incorporated administratively by means of Executive Decree No. 27, making it the eleventh [[Districts of Costa Rica|district]] of [[Puntarenas (canton)|Puntarenas]] canton of the [[Puntarenas Province]].<ref name="dta2017" />

As a district, the island has the postal code of 60110.<ref name="correospostalcode">{{cite web |title=Código Postal |url=https://correos.go.cr/codigo-postal/ |website=Correos de Costa Rica |date=27 December 2019 |access-date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=17 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017212128/https://correos.go.cr/codigo-postal/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The island's 33 residents, all of them Costa Rican park rangers, were allowed to vote for the first time in [[2006 Costa Rican general election|Costa Rica's February 5, 2006, election]]. However, the rangers are not considered permanent residents of the district, therefore the census data considers the island to be uninhabited.<ref name="censo2011">{{cite web |language=es |title=Censo. 2011. Población total por zona y sexo, según provincia, cantón y distrito |url=https://www.inec.cr/censos/censos-2011 |website=Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos |access-date=26 September 2020 |archive-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928013144/https://www.inec.cr/censos/censos-2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Piracy and hidden treasures===
Cocos Island has featured heavily in many tales of pirate lore and [[buried treasure]]. The first claims of treasure buried on the island came from a woman named Mary Welch, who claimed that 350 tons of gold (about $16 billion in today's money) raided from Spanish galleons had been buried on the island by Captain [[Bennett Graham]], a naval officer who had become a pirate in 1818. She had been a member of a pirate crew led by Captain Graham, and was transported to an Australian penal colony for her crimes. She possessed a chart showing where Graham's treasure was supposed to be hidden. On her release, she returned to the island with an expedition but had no success in finding anything, as the points of reference in the chart had disappeared.<ref name="Nova1">{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sharks/island/legends.html |title=Legends and Lore |publisher=[[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]].org |access-date=May 27, 2011 |archive-date=February 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110220053538/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sharks/island/legends.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Another pirate supposed to have buried treasure on the island was the Portuguese [[Benito Bonito]], who began terrorizing the west coast of the Americas around 1818.<ref name="UM">{{cite book|last=MacInnis|first=Joe|author-link=Joseph B. MacInnis|title=Underwater Man|location=[[New York City|New York]]|publisher=[[Dodd, Mead & Company]]|year=1975|isbn=0-396-07142-2|oclc=1166443|page=28}}</ref><ref name="Nova2">{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sharks/island/legends2.html |title=Legends and Lore (Part 2) |publisher=[[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]].org |access-date=May 27, 2011 |archive-date=September 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920063229/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sharks/island/legends2.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Though Bonito was hunted down and executed, his treasure was never retrieved.<ref name="Nova2"/>

Perhaps the best-known of the treasure legends tied to the island is that of the fabled [[Treasure of Lima]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://rgssamachupicchu.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/pirates-of-collection.html |title=Pirates of the Collection: and the quest for the 'Treasure of Lima' |access-date=2015-12-20 |archive-date=2015-12-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222085528/http://rgssamachupicchu.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/pirates-of-collection.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1820, with the army of [[José de San Martín]] approaching [[Lima]], Viceroy [[José de la Serna]] is supposed to have entrusted treasure from the city to British trader Captain [[William Thompson (pirate)|William Thompson]] for safekeeping until the [[Spanish Empire|Spaniards]] could secure the country. Instead of waiting in the harbor as they were instructed,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newspaperarchive.com/SiteMap/FreePdfPreview.aspx?img=103027136|work=The Daily News (Huntingdon, Pennsylvania)|date=29 October 1931|title=American Castaways Are Found On Tropical Island|quote=The ship had a slip-hawser on its anchor and instructions to await developments. But the captain and crew had ideas of their own. When morning came, Lima was still in the hands of the patriots but their treasures had vanished.}}</ref> Thompson and his crew killed the viceroy's men and sailed to Cocos, where they allegedly buried the treasure.<ref name="UM"/><ref name="Nova2"/> Shortly afterwards, they were apprehended by a Spanish warship. All of the crew except Thompson and his first mate were executed for piracy. The two said they would show the Spaniards where they had hidden the treasure in return for their lives, but after landing on Cocos, they escaped into the forest and were never recaptured.<ref name="Nova2"/>

Hundreds of attempts to find treasure on the island have failed.<ref name="Nova2"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Briton given permission to look for legendary treasure of Lima |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=26 July 2010 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7910402/Briton-given-permission-to-look-for-legendary-treasure-of-Lima.html |access-date=2 April 2018 |archive-date=10 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910044617/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7910402/Briton-given-permission-to-look-for-legendary-treasure-of-Lima.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Several early expeditions were mounted on the basis of claims by a man named Keating, who was supposed to have befriended Thompson. On one trip, Keating was said to have retrieved gold and jewels from the treasure.<ref>{{cite news|work=Newburg Telegram|date=11 November 1911|author=Walter Noble Burns|title=The Treasure of Cocos Island; The Romantic History of a Pirate Hoard on an Island in the Pacific|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kE5RAAAAIBAJ&pg=1568,6796068|access-date=20 September 2016|archive-date=20 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231120215124/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kE5RAAAAIBAJ&pg=1568,6796068|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="UM 2">MacInnis, pp. 29–30.</ref> German adventurer [[August Gissler]] lived on the island for most of the period from 1889 until 1908, hunting the treasure, but only found a few gold coins.<ref name="Nova2"/> British Antarctic explorer [[Aeneas Mackintosh]] launched a treasure-hunting expedition to Cocos in 1910, without success.<ref>{{cite book|author-link= Kelly Tyler-Lewis|last= Tyler-Lewis|first= Kelly|title= The Lost Men|publisher= Bloomsbury Publications|location= London|year= 2006|isbn= 978-0-7475-7972-4|pages=35–36}}</ref>
===Present status and international distinctions===
[[File:Orthographic projection centred over Cocos Island.png|thumb|Orthographic projection centred over Cocos Island]]
Cocos Island was declared a Costa Rican National Park by means of an executive decree in 1978 and designated a [[World Heritage Site]] by [[UNESCO]] in 1997. In 2002, the World Heritage Site designation was extended to include an expanded marine zone of {{convert|1997|km2|0|abbr=on}}. In addition, it is included in the list of [[Ramsar Wetlands|Wetlands of International Importance]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ramsar.org/key_conv_e.htm|title=Ramsar Convention text in English<!-- Bot generated title -->|website=Ramsar.org|access-date=5 December 2017|archive-date=6 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206141549/http://ramsar.org/key_conv_e.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2009, Cocos Island was short-listed as a candidate for the [[New7Wonders of Nature]] by the [[New7Wonders of the World]] Foundation, ranking second in the island category.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/liveranking/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090705105855/http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/liveranking/|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 July 2009|title=New7Wonders: Live Ranking|date=5 July 2009}}</ref>

Thanks to the great diversity of marine life in its waters, Cocos Island was named one of the best 10 [[scuba diving]] spots in the world by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors and a "must do" according to diving experts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/20166937|title=World's 10 best scuba spots|website=[[NBC News]]|date=8 August 2007|access-date=17 November 2019|archive-date=23 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923221352/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/20166937|url-status=dead}}</ref> Popular dive spots around the island are Bajo Alcyone (hammerhead sharks), Manuelina Garden (coral garden) and Dos Amigos Grande (natural underwater arch formation). For many, the main attractions are the large [[pelagic fish]] species, which are very abundant in this unique meeting point between deep and shallow waters. The largest schools of hammerhead sharks in the world are consistently reported there. Encounters with dozens if not hundreds of these and other large animals are nearly certain in every dive. Smaller and colorful species are also abundant in one of the most extensive [[coral reef]]s in the southeastern Pacific.<ref>Guzmán, H. M. and Cortés, J. (1992). Cocos Island (Pacific of Costa Rica) coral reefs after the 2010-83 El Niño disturbance. Revista de Biología Tropical 40: 309–324.</ref> Famous oceanographer [[Jacques Cousteau]] visited the island several times and in 1994 called it "the most beautiful island in the world". Such accolades have highlighted the urgent need to protect Cocos Island and its surrounding waters from illegal large-scale fishing, poaching and other [[#Habitats threatened|threats]].

The only persons allowed to live on Cocos Island are Costa Rican park rangers who reside in encampments at Wafer Bay and Chatham Bay. Access by civilians is very limited; tourists and ship crew members are allowed ashore only with permission of island rangers, and are not permitted to camp, stay overnight or collect any flora, fauna or minerals from the island. Occasional [[amateur radio]] [[DXpedition]]s are allowed to visit.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://hamgallery.com/qsl/country/Cocos_Island/ti9cf4.htm |title=TI9CF 1970 Cocos Island |access-date=2020-12-31 |archive-date=2022-07-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705104834/http://hamgallery.com/qsl/country/Cocos_Island/ti9cf4.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://qrznow.com/ti9a-dxpedition-to-cocos-island/ |title=TI9A DXpedition to Cocos Island |access-date=2020-12-31 |archive-date=2021-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025231320/https://qrznow.com/ti9a-dxpedition-to-cocos-island/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The island is also very popular in pirate lore. It is said<ref>{{Cite web |last=McArthur |first=Sarah |date=2021-10-31 |title=Cocos Island National Park in Costa Rica: Guide for Divers |url=https://www.costaricavibes.com/cocos-island/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923165918/https://www.costaricavibes.com/cocos-island/ |url-status=live }}</ref> that over 300 expeditions have searched for [[buried treasure]] there, such as the hoard of Benito Bonito, the [[Treasure of Lima]], and many others. Some small caches have been discovered,{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}} leading many to believe that the stories of vast pirate treasures are true, though the majority of searches have been unsuccessful. [[Treasure hunting]] is strictly prohibited by the Costa Rican government and permits are not being issued.

====Hermandad Marine Reserve====

In 2022 Ecuadorean President [[Guillermo Lasso]] announced the expansion of the [[Galápagos Marine Reserve]] by 50%, adding {{Cvt|23,000|sqmi|sqkm}} to protect submarine mountains northeast of the islands as the '''Hermandad Marine Reserve'''. It will connect with the protected area around Cocos Island.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rust|first=Susanne|date=2022-01-14|title=Ecuador expands protected area around Galapagos Islands, providing safe passage for marine life|url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-01-14/ecuador-expands-protected-area-around-galapagos-islands|access-date=2022-01-14|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|archive-date=2022-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114182142/https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-01-14/ecuador-expands-protected-area-around-galapagos-islands|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2022-01-13|title=Ecuador to announce creation of Hermandad Marine Reserve off Galapagos (commentary)|url=https://news.mongabay.com/2022/01/ecuador-to-announce-creation-of-hermandad-marine-reserve-off-galapagos-commentary/|access-date=2022-01-14|website=Mongabay Environmental News|language=en-US|archive-date=2022-01-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220113214225/https://news.mongabay.com/2022/01/ecuador-to-announce-creation-of-hermandad-marine-reserve-off-galapagos-commentary/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Geology and landscape==
[[File:A gorgeous waterfall on isla del coco.jpg|thumb|A waterfall at Wafer Bay, Cocos Island]]
[[File:Atardecer en Bahía Wafer Isla del Coco.JPG|thumb|Wafer Bay sunset]]
[[File:Cabanas para guarda parques Isla del Coco.jpg|thumb|Cabins for park rangers made by volunteers under the technical direction of [[Ibo Bonilla|architect Ibo Bonilla]]]]
[[File:Los Moais Riscos en Isla del Coco.JPG|thumb|Cliffs known as "The [[Moai]]"]]
[[File:Puente sobre Rio Genio Isla del Coco.JPG|thumb|Genius River bridge, made with [[marine debris]] by Tico artist "Pancho"]]
Cocos Island is an oceanic island of both [[volcanic]] and tectonic origin. It is the only emergent island of the [[Cocos Plate]], one of the minor [[tectonic plates]]. [[Potassium–argon dating]] established the age of the oldest rocks between 1.91 and 2.44&nbsp;million years<ref name="Castillo, P. 1414">Castillo, P., Batiza, R., Vanko, D., Malavassi, E., Barquero, J., and Fernandez, E. 1988. Anomalously young volcanoes on old hot-spot traces. I. Geology and petrology of Cocos Island. Geological Society of America Bulletin 100: 1400–1414.</ref> and it is composed primarily of [[basalt]], which is formed by cooling lava. Cocos Island is the emergent summit of a [[Pliocene]] and [[Pleistocene]] [[shield volcano]] along the central part of the aseismic [[Cocos Ridge]]. It contains a [[caldera]] inside which is a [[lava dome]] of [[trachytic]] composition. The most recent eruptions on Cocos Island originated from northeast-trending [[fissure vent|fissures]] which were the sources of lava flows.<ref>{{cite gvp|vn=345811|title=Isla del Coco}}</ref>

The island is approximately rectangular in shape, measuring about {{convert|8|x|3|km|0|abbr=on}} with a perimeter of around {{convert|23.3|km|1|abbr=on}}.<ref>Montoya, M. 2007. Conozca la Isla del Coco: una guía para su visitación. In Biocursos para amantes de la naturaleza: Conozca el parque nacional Isla del Coco, la isla del tesoro (26 abril al 6 de mayo 2007). (ed. Organization for Tropical Studies). Organization for Tropical Studies. San José, Costa Rica. 35–176.</ref> The landscape is mountainous and irregular; the highest point is Cerro Iglesias, at {{cvt|575.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Castillo, P. 1414"/> In spite of its mountainous character, there are flatter areas between {{cvt|200|–|260|m|ft}} in elevation in the center of the island, which are said to be a transitional stage of the geomorphological cycle of V-shaped valleys.<ref>Malavassi, E. 1982. Visita al Parque Nacional Isla del Coco. Revista Geográfica de América Central (15–16): 211–216.</ref>

Cocos Island has a number of short rivers and streams that drain abundant rainfall into four bays, three of them on the north side (Wafer, Chatham and Weston). The largest rivers are the Genio and the Pittier, which drain their water into Wafer Bay. Sheer, {{convert|90|m|ft|adj=on}} cliffs ring much of the island, preventing convenient access except at a few beaches; the easiest point of entry is at Chatham Bay.<ref>{{cite web|last=Stater|first=Adam|title=Chatham Bay, Cocos Island|url=http://www.anywherecostarica.com/destinations/isla-de-coco|access-date=2013-05-24|archive-date=2013-10-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015213701/http://www.anywherecostarica.com/destinations/isla-de-coco|url-status=live}}</ref> The mountainous landscape and the tropical climate combine to create over 200 waterfalls throughout the island. The island’s soils are classified as [[entisol]]s, which are highly acidic and would be easily eroded by the island’s high rainfall on the steep slopes were it not for the dense forest coverage.

===Climate===
Cocos island has a [[tropical rainforest climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Af''), similar to that of [[Chocó Department|the Colombian Chocó]] and mostly determined by the [[Intertropical Convergence Zone]], which creates constant cloudiness and precipitation throughout the year.<ref>Herrera, W. 1984. Informe de campo. Gira realizada a la Isla del Coco con el objetivo de recabar información climatológica. San José, Servicio de Parques Nacionales, 6 p.</ref> As in the Chocó, the [[Equatorial Counter Current|North Equatorial Countercurrent]] from the central [[Pacific Ocean]] converges on the island and makes the climate very warm and exceptionally rainy with an average annual temperature of {{convert|26.6|C|1}} and an average annual rainfall of over {{convert|7000|mm|0|abbr=on}} – comparable to [[Andagoya]] or [[Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca|Buenaventura]]. Rainfall remains high throughout the year, although lowers somewhat from January through March and again during late September and October.<ref name="Aspectos">Sinergia 69. 2000. Volumen 2. Aspectos meteorológicos y climatológico del ACMIC y su área de influencia. San José, Proyecto GEF/PNUD Conocimiento y uso de la biodiversidad del ACMIC, 184 p.</ref>

{{Weather box
|width = auto
| location = Cocos island
| metric first = Yes
| single line  = Yes
| collapsed = yes
| Jan high C = 28.0
| Feb high C = 29.0
| Mar high C = 29.0
| Apr high C = 29.0
| May high C = 29.0
| Jun high C = 28.0
| Jul high C = 28.0
| Aug high C = 28.0
| Sep high C = 28.0
| Oct high C = 27.0
| Nov high C = 27.0
| Dec high C = 28.0
|temperature colour = pastel
| Jan mean C = 26
| Feb mean C = 27.5
| Mar mean C = 27.5
| Apr mean C = 27.5
| May mean C = 27.0
| Jun mean C = 26.0
| Jul mean C = 26.0
| Aug mean C = 26.0
| Sep mean C = 26.0
| Oct mean C = 25.5
| Nov mean C = 25.5
| Dec mean C = 26
| year mean C =
| Jan low C = 24.0
| Feb low C = 26.0
| Mar low C = 26.0
| Apr low C = 26.0
| May low C = 25.0
| Jun low C = 24.0
| Jul low C = 24.0
| Aug low C = 24.0
| Sep low C = 24.0
| Oct low C = 24.0
| Nov low C = 24.0
| Dec low C = 24.0
|rain colour= green
|Jan rain mm=585.4
|Feb rain mm=348.4
|Mar rain mm=235.1
|Apr rain mm=470.1
|May rain mm=857.5
|Jun rain mm=938.2
|Jul rain mm=806.2
|Aug rain mm=674.3
|Sep rain mm=753.9
|Oct rain mm=793.0
|Nov rain mm=625.9
|Dec rain mm=555.4
|date=July 2020}}

==Ecology==
[[File:Isla del Coco-chatham beach.jpg|thumb|Chatham beach on Cocos Island]]
[[File:Islote Manuelita en Isla del Coco.JPG|thumb|The islet Manuelita is a popular site for diving and observing marine species]]
Cocos Island is home to dense [[tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests|tropical moist forests]]. It is the only oceanic island in the eastern Pacific region with such rain forests and their characteristic types of flora and fauna. The [[cloud forest]]s present at its higher elevations are also unique in the eastern Pacific. The island was never linked to a continent, so the flora and fauna arrived via [[long-distance dispersal]] from the [[Americas]], and the island therefore has a high proportion of [[endemic (ecology)|endemic species]].

===Flora===

The island has 235 known species of [[flowering plant]]s, of which 70 are endemic. A good comprehensive study on the flora of the island is provided in the journal ''Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences''.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Trusty |first1=J.L. |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/126212 |title=Vascular flora of Isla del Coco, Costa Rica. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 4th series |last2=Kesler |first2=H.C |last3=Haug-Delgado |first3=G. |date=2006 |publisher=California Academy of Sciences |volume=ser.4:v.57:no.1-11 (2006) |location=San Francisco |pages=247–355 |access-date=2024-06-20 |archive-date=2024-05-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240511223258/https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/126212 |url-status=live }}</ref> Additionally, 74 species of [[fern]]s and [[fern allies]] ([[lycopodiophyte]]s and [[pteridophyte]]s<ref>Gomez, L.D. 1975. The Ferns and Fern-Allies of Cocos Island, Costa Rica. American Fern Journal 65 (4): 102–104.</ref>), 128 species of [[moss]]es and [[Marchantiophyta|liverwort]]s,<ref>Dauphin G. 1999. Bryophytes of Cocos Island, Costa Rica: diversity, biogeography and ecology. Revista de Biología Tropical. 47:309–328</ref> 90 species of [[fungi]] and 41 species of [[slime mold]]s<ref>Rojas, C. and Stephenson, S.L. 2008. Myxomycete ecology along an elevation gradient on Cocos Island, Costa Rica. Fungal Diversity 29: 119–129.</ref> have been reported. Nevertheless, more exhaustive investigations are expected to reveal many more species.

The island has three main plant communities. The coastal forests extend from the coast up to {{cvt|50|m|ft}} elevation. Purple coral tree (''[[Erythrina fusca]]''), coconut palm (''[[Cocos nucifera]]''), and pond-apple (''[[Annona glabra]]'') are the predominant trees, with an understory of ferns, shrubs of the [[Rubiaceae]] and [[Solanaceae]] families, sedges and grasses, and herbaceous plants of the [[Leguminosae]] and [[Malvaceae]] families.

The inland forests extend from {{cvt|50|to|500|m|ft}} elevation. "Palo de hierro" or huriki (''[[Sacoglottis]] holdridgei''), "avocado" (''[[Ocotea]] insularis'') and the endemic ''[[Cecropia]] pittieri'' are the most common canopy trees. The trees are festooned at all levels with [[epiphytic plant]]s, including [[orchid]]s, ferns, [[bromeliad]]s and mosses. The understory includes sedges such as ''Hypolitrum amplum'' and various species of ferns and [[tree fern]]s, including ''[[Cyathea]] armata'' and ''[[Danaea]] media''. The palm ''[[Euterpe precatoria]]'' is also common. Cloud forests are found at the highest elevations, over {{cvt|500|m|ft}}, where ''[[Melastoma]]'' spp. are predominant.

The general vegetation of Cocos Island has greatly changed since the island was first named and described by Europeans. Captain Wafer, who visited the island in 1685 and whose name was given to the landing place, describes extensive coconut groves extending inland into the interior of the island. [[Thor Heyerdahl]] posited that it was very unlikely that these groves developed naturally, and that pre-European man must once have cleared considerable areas in the ravine bottoms and interior plateaus and ridges, utilizing the clearings for coconut plantations of substantial extent. Heyerdahl theorized that these plantations were used to provide fresh liquid and food for pre-Columbian voyages (made by [[balsa]] [[raft]]s using ''guara'' navigation) between [[Guatemala]] and northwestern South America. After the Spanish conquest and its consequences, these voyages ended and the tropical jungle recovered the land that had been laboriously cleared by early human hands.<ref>Heyerdahl, T. 1978. ''Early Man and the Ocean''. Doubleday & Company, New York</ref>
There is, however, no concrete archeological evidence of human habitation before European contact.

===Fauna===

====Terrestrial====

The island has over 400 known species of insects, of which 65 (16%) are endemic. The greatest diversity is found among the [[Lepidoptera]] and [[Formicidae]]. Over 50 species of other arthropods have been described ([[spider]]s, [[centipede]]s, [[millipede]]s, and [[isopod]]s).

Two species of [[lizard]] are found on the island, the [[Cocos Island anole]] (''Anolis townsendi'') and the [[Pacific least gecko]] (''Sphaerodactylus pacificus''); both are endemic.<ref>Chaves, G. & Acosta Chaves, V. (2020). "Anolis townsendi". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T203123A2760813. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/203123/2760813 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240118044204/https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/203123/2760813 |date=2024-01-18 }}. Downloaded on 29 March 2021.</ref><ref> Chaves, G.; Porras, L.W. (2013). "Sphaerodactylus pacificus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T203178A2761545. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T203178A2761545.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.</ref> No [[amphibian]]s have been reported.

Nearly 90 bird species have been reported. The island and neighboring rocks are home to large nesting colonies of migratory [[seabird]]s, including the [[Cocos booby]] (''Sula brewsteri''), [[red-footed booby]] (''Sula sula''), [[great frigatebird]] (''Fregata minor''), [[white tern]] (''Gygis alba'') and [[brown noddy]] (''Anous stolidus''). Seven species of land birds inhabit the island, including three endemics: the [[Cocos cuckoo]] (''Coccyzus ferrugineus''), [[Cocos flycatcher]] (''Nesotriccus ridgwayi'') and [[Cocos finch]] (''Pinaroloxias inornata''), with the latter one being the [[Monotypic taxon|only member]] of its genus.<ref>{{cite web|last=Stater|first=Adam|title=Endemic Birds of Cocos Island|url=http://www.anywherecostarica.com/destinations/isla-de-coco-costa-rica|access-date=2013-05-24|archive-date=2013-06-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613051136/http://www.anywherecostarica.com/destinations/isla-de-coco-costa-rica|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>BirdLife International (2020). "Nesotriccus ridgwayi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22699191A179473022. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22699191A179473022.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.</ref><ref>BirdLife International (2020). "Cocos Cuckoo Coccyzus ferrugineus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22684340A178653886. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22684340A178653886.en. Retrieved 25 September 2022.</ref> The island has been designated an [[Important Bird Area]] (IBA) by [[BirdLife International]].<ref name=bli>{{cite web|url= http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/cocos-island-iba-costa-rica|title= Cocos Island|author= <!--Not stated-->|date= 2020|website= BirdLife Data Zone|publisher= BirdLife International|access-date= 10 December 2020|archive-date= 10 August 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200810170833/http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/cocos-island-iba-costa-rica|url-status= live}}</ref>

The island has no native land [[mammal]] species, but humans have introduced five: [[pig]]s, [[deer]], [[goat]]s, [[cat]]s, and [[rat]]s.  Because they harm the local ecosystems by either foraging native flora or preying on native fauna, they are the subject of control efforts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/2008/enero/13/aldea1372595.html|title=País en guerra contra especies invasoras de isla del Coco - ALDEA GLOBAL - nacion.com|access-date=2014-02-02|archive-date=2020-11-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123185018/http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/2008/enero/13/aldea1372595.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Marine====

The rich coral reef, volcanic tunnels, caves, massifs and deeper waters surrounding Cocos Island are home to more than 30 species of coral, 60 species of crustaceans, 600 species of molluscs and over 300 species of fish. These include large populations of [[yellowfin tuna]] (''Thunnus albacares''), [[giant manta]]s (''Manta birostris''), [[Indo-Pacific sailfish|sailfish]] (''Istiophorus platypterus'') and [[shark]]s, such as [[whitetip reef shark]] (''Triaenodon obesus'') and  [[scalloped hammerhead shark]] (''Sphyrna lewini''). The largest of all species of fish is also present, the [[whale shark]] (''Rhincodon typus''). In December 2017, a female [[tiger shark]] (a species that returned to the waters of Isla del Coco in 2012, after 30 years of not being seen in the area) killed New Yorker Rohina Bhandari while she was scuba diving in Manuelita in the Isla del Coco National Park.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2017/12/03/wall-street-big-killed-by-shark-while-diving-in-costa-rica/|title=Wall Street big killed by shark while diving in Costa Rica|date=3 December 2017|website=NYPost.com|access-date=5 December 2017|archive-date=13 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013175236/https://nypost.com/2017/12/03/wall-street-big-killed-by-shark-while-diving-in-costa-rica/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.co.cr/shark-attack-in-isla-del-coco-costa-rica/68846/|title=Costa Rica's Ministry of Environment Provides Information on Shark Attack in Isla del Coco – Costa Rica Star News|date=1 December 2017|website=news.co.cr|access-date=5 December 2017|archive-date=20 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231120215124/https://news.co.cr/shark-attack-in-isla-del-coco-costa-rica/68846/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Other large marine animals include [[humpback whale]]s (''Megaptera novaeangliae''), [[orca]]s (''Orcinus orca''), [[Short-finned pilot whale|pilot whales]] (''Globicephala macrorhynchus''), [[Common bottlenose dolphin|bottlenose dolphins]] (''Tursiops truncatus'') and [[California sea lion|sea lions]] (''Zalophus californianus'').<ref>ANNIE. 2012. [http://www.costarica-scuba.com/orca-whales/ Orca Whales] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023020237/http://www.costarica-scuba.com/orca-whales/ |date=2020-10-23 }}. Costa Rica Scuba.com.  Retrieved on August 25, 2017</ref><ref>Dyer Z.. 2014. [http://www.ticotimes.net/2014/09/10/video-killer-whales-hunt-tiger-shark-near-cocos-island VIDEO: Killer whales hunt tiger shark near Costa Rica's Cocos Island] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824221252/http://www.ticotimes.net/2014/09/10/video-killer-whales-hunt-tiger-shark-near-cocos-island |date=2017-08-24 }}. [[The Tico Times]]. Retrieved on August 25, 2017</ref>

There are also reptiles: [[hawksbill turtle]]s (''Eretmochelys imbricata''), [[green turtle]]s (''Chelonia mydas'') and [[olive ridley turtle]]s (''Lepidochelys olivacea'').

===Habitats threatened===

The island's largely unperturbed habitats are, nonetheless, under growing human pressure. Illegal [[poaching]] of large marine species in and around its protected waters has become a main concern.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/neotropics/eco-exchange/2001/may01-2.html|title=Eco-Exchange – April–May 2001 – Modern-Day Pirates Plunder Saltwater Booty Near Costa Rica's Fabled Cocos Island]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060714091826/http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/neotropics/eco-exchange/2001/may01-2.html|archive-date=14 July 2006}}</ref> Growing local and worldwide demand for tuna, [[shark fin soup]] and other seafood is threatening the island's fragile ecosystems.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/10/061012-shark-fin.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061105012342/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/10/061012-shark-fin.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 5, 2006|title=38 Million Sharks Killed for Fins Annually, Experts Estimate}}</ref> The government of Costa Rica has been openly accused of passivity and even benefiting corruptly from illegal shark fin and other seafood trade to large markets, such as China and other Asian countries.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0707/25/lkl.01.html | work=CNN | title=CNN.com – Transcripts | access-date=2008-01-14 | archive-date=2007-12-18 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218191356/http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0707/25/lkl.01.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The government has shown some willingness to protect the island's natural riches and prosecute poachers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2002/2002-02-04-01.asp|title=Costa Rica Court Rules for Sea Turtles, Jails Captain|access-date=2008-01-14|archive-date=2011-06-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604005221/http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2002/2002-02-04-01.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, efforts to effectively patrol the waters and enforce environmental laws face big financial and bureaucratic difficulties, as well as being prone to the corruption of local, national and international authorities.

Recent events show that large-scale illegal poaching keeps happening. Despite initial hope in stopping and charging poachers,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2008/enero/30/pais1404145.html|title=Cae atunero con pesca ilegal en Isla del Coco – EL PAÍS – nacion.com<!-- Bot generated title -->|website=Nacion.com|access-date=5 December 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080203205044/http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2008/enero/30/pais1404145.html|archive-date=3 February 2008}}</ref> who have been caught with abundant evidence,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2008/febrero/01/pais1407267.html|title=El ‘Tiuna’ traía más de 280 toneladas de atún y explosivos – EL PAÍS – nacion.com<!-- Bot generated title -->|website=Nacion.com|access-date=5 December 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529003723/http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2008/febrero/01/pais1407267.html|archive-date=29 May 2008}}</ref> they have often been quickly released under suspicious circumstances.<ref name="nacion.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2008/febrero/14/pais1424902.html|title=Juez puntarenense levanta medidas cautelares a atuneros – EL PAÍS – nacion.com<!-- Bot generated title -->|website=Nacion.com|access-date=5 December 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080217213434/http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2008/febrero/14/pais1424902.html|archive-date=17 February 2008}}</ref> Also, efforts to raise funds for protection have been dwarfed.

Marvin Orlando Cerdas, a judge with the local Puntarenas Court of Justice, obscurely allowed 22 poachers caught red-handed to escape the country.<ref name="nacion.com"/> Also under highly suspicious and allegedly corrupt circumstances, District Attorney Michael Morales Molina stopped the auction for public benefit of confiscated goods immediately after the spokesman of the large illegal poaching ship ''Tiuna'' simply made the request.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2008/febrero/15/pais1426615.html|title=Dall’Anese: ‘La isla del Coco está perdida’ – EL PAÍS – nacion.com<!-- Bot generated title -->|website=Nacion.com|access-date=5 December 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091111204852/http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2008/febrero/15/pais1426615.html|archive-date=11 November 2009}}</ref>

==In fiction==
The book ''Desert Island''<ref>Robinson Crusoe Enterprises, North Vancouver, 1996</ref> proposed the highly detailed theory that [[Daniel Defoe]] used the Isla del Coco as an accurate model for his descriptions of the island inhabited by the marooned [[Robinson Crusoe]]. However, Defoe placed Crusoe's island not in the Pacific, but rather off the coast of [[Venezuela]] in the Atlantic Ocean.<ref>See [[Talk:Cocos Island#The Robinson Crusoe connection theory|discussion page]] for further details.</ref>

Robinson's neighbouring ''[[wikt:terra firma|Terra Firma]]'' is shown on the colour map of [[Joannes Jansson]] (Amsterdam) depicting the northeastern corner of [[South America]], entitled ''Terra Firma et Novum Regnum Granatense et Popayan''. It belongs to the early group of plates printed by [[Willem Blaeu]] from 1630 onwards. The property called Terra Firma was the [[Isthmus of Darien]].<ref>Bowen, 1747: 593, and Charles Theodore Middleton, ''A new and Complete System of Geography'', Volume II, London, printed for J. Cooke, 1777–1778, page 448</ref>

The stories of pirates and buried treasure associated with the island are reputed to have been the inspiration for the novel ''[[Treasure Island]]'', by [[Robert Louis Stevenson]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Legends and Lore |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sharks/island/legends.html |website=Nova |publisher=PBS Online |access-date=2022-02-01 |archive-date=2022-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407101124/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sharks/island/legends.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Dobson |first1=Jim |title=A $1 Billion Treasure Is Buried On This Island In Costa Rica (And You Will Never Find It) |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimdobson/2019/08/27/a-one-billion-dollar-treasure-is-buried-on-this-island-in-costa-rica-and-you-will-never-find-it/?sh=3f092a0c7c08 |access-date=2022-02-01 |work=Forbes |date=2019-08-27 |archive-date=2022-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220201005324/https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimdobson/2019/08/27/a-one-billion-dollar-treasure-is-buried-on-this-island-in-costa-rica-and-you-will-never-find-it/?sh=3f092a0c7c08 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== See also ==
* ''[[Island of the Sharks]]''

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|voy=Cocos Island National Park}}
*[http://www.isladelcoco.go.cr/ Cocos Island National Park institutional website]
*{{WWF ecoregion|id=nt0116|name=Cocos Island moist forests}}
*[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sharks/island/legends.html Island of the Sharks – Legends and Lore]
*[https://archive.today/20160724085425/http://rgssa.slimlib.com.au:81/vufind/Record/238231 De Montmorency, Hervey Guy Francis Edward, 1868–1942. "On the track of a treasure : the story of an adventurous expedition to the Pacific island of Cocos in search of treasure of untold value hidden by pirates", London : Hurst and Blackett, 1904.]

{{Eastern Pacific Islands}}
{{National Parks of Costa Rica}}
{{Districts of Puntarenas Province}}
{{Pirates}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Pacific islands of Costa Rica]]
[[Category:National parks of Costa Rica]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Costa Rica]]
[[Category:Uninhabited islands of Costa Rica]]
[[Category:Neotropical tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests]]
[[Category:Marine ecoregions]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1978]]
[[Category:Former populated places in Costa Rica]]
[[Category:Ramsar sites in Costa Rica]]
[[Category:Geography of Puntarenas Province]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Puntarenas Province]]
[[Category:Pirate treasure]]
[[Category:Districts of Puntarenas Province]]
[[Category:Important Bird Areas of Costa Rica]]
[[Category:Important Bird Areas of Oceania]]
[[Category:Tropical Eastern Pacific]]
[[Category:Piracy in the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Treasure Island]]
[[Category:Volcanic islands]]
[[Category:Polygenetic shield volcanoes]]
[[Category:Volcanoes of Costa Rica]]
[[Category:Pliocene shield volcanoes]]
[[Category:Pleistocene shield volcanoes]]
[[Category:Calderas]]