Thirty-nine years ago, Isla del Coco was declared a national park because of its rich biodiversity.
On June 22nd 1978, that island, located more than 500 kilometers from the Costa Rican Pacific coast, received the declaration that made it one of the main conservation areas of the country.
December 2017 also marks the 20th anniversary since the island was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
According to the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), there are 235 species of plants, 400 types of insects, five kinds of reptiles, three species of marine turtles, 100 species of birds, 50 types of arthropods, 57 kinds of crustaceans, 600 species of marine molluscs and 250 species of fish.
White-finned sharks, hammerhead sharks, yellowfin tuna, parrotfish, mantas and jureles proliferate in these waters.
It is also a wetland site of international importance, according to Ramsar, and it is part of the Marine Landscape Corridor of the Eastern Tropical Pacific.
Its land area is just over 23 square kilometers, measuring 7.6 km long and 4.4 wide, with only 20 rangers to protect it from illegal fishing and drug trafficking.