MV Sea Hunter

MV Sea Hunter is a 119 ft (36m) Cocos Island liveaboard specifically designed for long range expeditions and, in keeping with the rest of the Undersea Hunter Fleet, she is a former commercial dive support vehicle. The fleet are the original pioneers of scuba diving in Cocos.

Extensively renovated, she is now a very comfortable steel hull liveaboard with all the facilities that could be asked of a discerning diver or underwater photographer. Once the boat is moored, 4 stabilizers are lowered into the water from fixed outriggers, making the boat amazingly stable with hardly any rocking motion; ideal for passengers that suffer from motion sickness.

There are 10 cabins sleeping 20 guests in twin and double bed air-conditioned suites and cabins all with hot water en-suite bathroom facilities. The liveaboard provides a free laundry service to guests throughout Sea Hunter trips. A large air conditioned lounge is where the full range of entertainment facilities are enjoyed, as well as a study with with general books, fish ID books, a computer, TV and an extra DVD player. There is also a dedicated air-conditioned restaurant and a sundeck for soaking up the equatorial rays.

Dive facilities include free nitrox on trips, individual storage spaces, personal camera/strobe storage shelves with AC power points and a private dryer for towels and bathing suits. The boat is also equipped to service rebreathers and technical divers, and all dives are made from spacious and covered fiberglass skiffs, fitted with twin engines for added safety. Being a remote destination, everyone is issued with a personal diver locator, clipped to their BCD, to reduce the possibility of becoming lost.

You may also be able to experience an incredible dive in the DeepSee Submersible that is housed on board the sister ship MV Argo. Argo must be positioned at Cocos Island at the same time as your cruise. Spacious and practical and built for long distance trips, MV Sea Hunter could not be better prepared for the incredible liveaboard dive adventures that Cocos Island has to offer.

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Notes: Cocos is a popular destination with limited liveaboard spaces. We recommend you book well in advance to avoid disappointment.

Dive experience: Recommendation: A minimum of 50 hours underwater. Nitrox and advanced certifications are also highly recommend. The Enriched Air Nitrox course can be taken onboard during the crossing for US$ 250. Having experience with currents is also recommended. December-May has less strong currents, and is the more advisable period for scuba divers trying to avoid them. But in general the recommendations apply to the whole year as strong currents could be present at any time.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, soft drinks, hot drinks, dives (as detailed in the trips above), experienced English-speaking divemaster(s) (max number of divers per DM is 10), tanks, weights, weightbelt, nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers, return land transfer from San Jose to Puntarenas, personal diver locator (EPIRB), all taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (US$ 30 per day for BCD, reg & wetsuit), diving insurance, Cocos Island National Park fee (10 nights US$ 554, 11 nights US$ 633) to be paid in advance, fuel surcharge (US$ 200). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash or credit card).

Optional extras: Alcoholic drinks, torch (US$ 7 per day), dive computer, 15 litre tank (US$ 12 per day), dive insurance. DeepSee submersible dives (subject to availability, depth range from 100 to 300m, prices range from US$ 1,500 to US$ 1,895). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival. Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.

How to get there: MV Sea Hunter departs from Puntarenas. Guests fly into Costa Rica and overnight in San Jose. You will be transferred from your hotel in San Jose between 8 am - 1 pm to Puntarenas, provided you stay in a recommended hotel. The journey takes 2-3 hours. You will be informed of your pick-up time from San Jose. Departure times from Puntarenas vary according to the tides, between 10 am - 4 pm. For more details, including airlines, see our Costa Rica travel information section. The last dive of the trip will be on the second last day of the trip. Disembarkation time is 8 am. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving.

Non-diver rate: None.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travelers may choose to share a cabin or pay a supplement of 100% of the published price.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 9 guests and 1 additional person can join the cruise in a Lower deck twin/double cabin free of charge.

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 18 guests and 2 additional persons can join the cruise in a Lower deck twin/double cabin free of charge (total 18 or more guests).

MV Sea Hunter has 8 Lower deck twin/double bed cabins and 2 Upper deck suites, all with private en-suite bathrooms. The suites are on the upper deck with seaview windows. One has a queen size bed and the other has a queen size bed and a single top bunk bed. All twin/double bed cabins are located on the lower deck and have portholes. 2 of these cabins have twin beds and two have bunk beds. 4 of the cabins have a double bed and a single top bunk bed.

All the cabins have: No. of bathrooms / showers - 11 / 12 - hot water

The crew of 9 comprise: Complimentary nitrox - 452ft² (42m²) Dive deck with rinse tanks, hot water showers and personal storage bins - Camera storage area and recharge points for each guest - Sea kayaks - Main deck 270ft² (25m²) air-conditioned saloon with TV, video player, music system, movie library, books, magazines, satellite telephone and bathroom - Study room with computer, CD burner, e-mail facility, photo and video editing facilities - 377ft² (35m²) Dedicated air-conditioned restaurant with Espresso machine and icemaker - Free laundry service - Sundeck and shaded area with sun chairs, mattresses and barbecue stand - Water dispenser

All scuba diving at Cocos Island is made from the 2 x 26ft (8m) fiberglass dive tenders. The tenders have 115 HP twin engines and are built for 10 divers. They each have roof shades, camera storage areas, emergency oxygen, radios, first aid kits, rugged exit ladders, and deck lights to aid night diving. Customers scuba equipment stays on the tenders at all times, so there is no need to move your gear after each dive.

Meals on board the Sea Hunter are all served buffet-style in the dining room on the main deck at tables seating 4 diners each. You can expect the menu to include international cuisine as well as local Costa Rican and central American specialties. Snacks are available throughout the day and are included in the price, as is a complimentary beer after the last dive.

The meals begin with lunch on the first day of the cruise. It is important that you provide advance notice of your dietary requirements. Once the boat leaves port for the long crossing to Cocos island, there are no supermarkets.

• International and local cuisine is served with the occasional BBQ.
• Air-conditioned restaurant with buffet-style meals and waitress service.
• Meals consist of breakfast, lunch and dinner with snacks in-between.
• Snacks consist of cookies, candy bars, ice creams, fruit and bread/toast.
• Coffee, tea, drinking water, soft drinks and a beer after your last dive are provided free of charge.
• Wine can be purchased onboard.
• All dietary requirements including Halal and vegetarian can be catered for - please send advanced notice.
• Catering begins with dinner at check-in.