Was This The Inspiration For Jurassic Park?

Cocos Island is a small volcanic rock covered by a misty rain forest.  It is roughly rectangular in shape and about 9 sq. mi. in size.  It is found just over 300 miles off the coast of Costa Rica and has often been described as the most beautiful island in the world.  (actually, there are two different Cocos Islands, with the other one being in the Indian Ocean) Some say that it was inspiration for the Michael Crichton novel Jurassic Park.  Cocos is a Marine World Heritage Site.

The island was first discovered in the early 1500s and became legendary as a potential place where pirates hid their gold. There have been at least 300 expeditions that have searched for the gold, but nothing of significance was ever found.  It is considered uninhabited, but has two encampments of Costa Rican park rangers. 

Like many other interesting destinations in the world, tourists are allowed to visit the Cocos, however, they are not allowed to camp, stay overnight, or remove any plants or animals. It is a very popular destination for scuba divers.  Some of the largest schools of hammerhead sharks in the world can be seen here, and there are many other types of fish of all sizes. 

Coco's Island has officially been a part of Costa Rica since 1949. 

A common way to visit the Cocos is to fly to San Jose, Costa Rica, and then take a 10 day boat trip, which needs to be prearranged.  Since the trip from the mainland to the island can take 36 hours one way, you only end up with seven days of diving.

The island is isolated and has a unique biological diversity.  This makes it a great place for doing research in regard to the evolution of local species, and the impact on the island of environmental factors. Despite its isolation, the island has been affected by man in that pigs, goats, and rats have been introduced.  The reason for the pigs and goats was to allow them to breed and provide fresh meat the next time sailors showed up. Rats were unintended, but always seem to show up where ever humans do.