1. Cocos Island Costa Rica

2. With almost 46.6
square kilometers,
24 kilometers of
coastline
located two hundred
and seventy miles
Southeast of Costa
Rica

3.  Cocos Island represents a world
known nature’s jewel which the
memorable Jacques Ives
Cousteau(1910-1997):
 scientific oceanograph,
 professional diver,
 filming director of sealife
documentals,
 brougth up this
island worldwide through the
communication media together
with his Calypsus’ Ship crew , in the
late 80’s.

4. Cousteau
”the most beautiful island in
the world…”
Michael Crichton
Wrote “Jurassic Park” with this
place in mind.

5. Cocos Island was inscribed as WORLD
HERITAGE SITE in 1997 by UNESCO
More recently it has been nominated as
candidate of the 2nd phase in the
www.new7wonders.com world contest.

6. Exuberant vegetation
typical of the tropical
rainy climates and
high level of rainfall
generates abundant
rivers of fresh and
crystalline waters that
cascade into the sea in
waterfalls of
extraordinary beauty.

7.  A rugged shaped coastline full of steep cliffs, turns the island in an
almost impregnable fortress which rises over 500 feet above sea
level.
 The only points of access are two bays: Chatham Bay and Wafer
Bay, which are separated from each other by the “Presidio”
Peninsula.
 Mount Iglesias which reaches an altitude of 2178 feet over the sea,
is the island’s highest peak.

8. Since Cocos Island is It is said that Cocos
first mentioned in 1541
in Nicolás Desliens
Island owes its name to
cartographic map, it is the abundance of
assumed that it was coconut palms and fruit.
discovered before that
date.
A captain by the name of
Nevertheless, its exact Colnett mentioned
date of discovery is not having loaded 2000
known. coconuts onto his ship
on a visit to the island in
In Desliens’ map it is 1793.
identified as “Coques”

9.  Fifty-nine species of fish,
ninety-seven molluscs,
fifty-seven crustaceans,
two lizards and seven land
birds have been reported.
The island has seventy-
four species of birds,
including three that are
endemic: the Cocos Island
Flycatcher, Cocos Island
Finch, & the Cocos Island
Cuckoo

10. One of the most
startling beautiful of
all the birds that visit
the island for nesting
is the “Espíritu Santo”
(White Tern) a small
white species which
often hovers in the air
just a few feet above
one’s head, totally
unafraid of visit.

11.  During the XVI, XVII, and
XVIII centuries, the island
served as refuge for pirates
and whalers, and the
occasional military
reconnaissance mission.
 Among some of the most
notorious pirates which are
said to have used the island
as a refuge and supposedly
buried their treasures there
are:
• Captains Morgan,
• Edward Davis,
• William Thompson.

12. Today, there is widespread belief that there really
is a great treasure buried in the island.

13. That the island’s greatest
treasures are:
its tropical beauty
its paradisiacal waters
its exuberant flora and fauna
PATRIMONY OF HUMANITY.