A Jurassic Park island in real life may seem improbable. But did you realize that the island that served as the model for the fantasy story actually exists?
Unsurprisingly, there aren't any dinosaurs prowling its shores, but Cocos Island, located 340 miles off the coast of Costa Rica, would likely give even the most adventurous traveler the willies.
Given that it is defended by hordes of killer sharks and covered in a dense tropical rainforest that is home to 400 different insect species, the island is regarded as being too hazardous for people to explore.
Real Life Jurrasic Park: Cocos Island Banned
Even now, there are rigorous safety restrictions on how many people may visit Cocos Island.
Because access to the island has now officially been prohibited by the Costa Rican authorities. As a result of its recent UNESCO designation, going to the island is considerably more limited and supervised than previously.
The only island in the tropical eastern Pacific with a tropical rainforest is Cocos Island National Park, which is situated 550 kilometers off the coast of Costa Rica, UNESCO mentioned.
According to the international agency, the region is a perfect laboratory for the study of biological processes because of its position as the initial point of contact with the northern equatorial counter-current and the numerous connections between the island and the nearby marine ecosystem.
Due to the interest, it has for divers, who consider it one of the greatest spots in the world to watch huge pelagic species such as sharks, rays, tuna, and dolphins, the underwater environment of the national park has gained notoriety.
However, Daily Star mentioned that divers are reluctant to visit the island now since tiger and hammerhead sharks are everywhere around it, making any diving adventure dangerous.
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Treasure Hunting on Cocos Island
Cocos Island is off-limits, too, because of a rumored billion-dollar treasure horde that has reportedly been hidden away for the past 200 years, Mirror reported.
Forget about roving dinosaurs; the tale of the Treasure of Lima is so captivating and intriguing that it could stand alone as a feature film.
Legend has it that in 1820, a sizable amount of wealth was evacuated from Lima, the capital of Peru, to avoid the Spanish invaders.
Hundreds of silver coins, jewels, and a gold statue of the Virgin Mary in life-size are among the alleged treasure's contents.
William Thompson, a sea captain from Britain, was entrusted with protecting the cargo and ensuring its secure voyage to Mexico.
But it turned out that Captain Thompson was not as reliable as the Peruvians had believed. He and his officers killed every priest and soldier on board before stopping to bury the gold on Cocos Island.
In exchange for mercy, Captain Thompson and his crew promised to return to Cocos and reveal to the Spaniards where they had hidden the gold. The crew was finally apprehended and prosecuted for their crimes.
Once on the island, though, they managed to flee, and the wealth has never been located to this day.
There were rumors that Cocos was home to more precious treasures buried beside The Treasure of Lima. Millions of dollars' worth of additional gold, silver, and diamonds are allegedly rumored to have been secreted there by German and English pirates in the early 19th century.
Given these legends, it should come as no surprise that Cocos has attracted a lot of treasure hunters throughout the years. Despite this, more than 500 missions have been made there without any luck.
But despite this, a wide range of fiction, like Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island and Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park, have been inspired by Cocos.
Currently, only the rangers who work on Cocos to monitor and research the fauna are permitted to visit, and even then, even their visits are closely controlled.
The island is surrounded by tiger and hammerhead sharks, therefore divers are reluctant to take a chance and visit it.
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