Whale sharks in Costa Rica give hotel guests surprise thrill

Sometimes it’s monkeys, or a sloth. Or maybe Scarlet Macaws or toucans. Or possibly even dolphins or a humpback whale.

When travelers come to Costa Rica – the eco-capital of Latin America with nearly 6 percent of the world’s biodiversity – they often want to see certain animals. Maybe it is a favorite animal they have been dreaming their whole life to see in person. Or they recently read up on the cool wildlife in Costa Rica.

In April, guests and staff at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in southern Costa Rica had an incredible experience with a surprise visit by a whale shark swimming in front of Nicuesa Beach in the Golfo Dulce.

Boat captain Alejandro was readying a boat for a guest trip that morning, when he saw a huge school of sardines swimming nearby, followed by a whale shark. The small bay in front of Nicuesa Beach is very calm and the water is crystal clear, making it easy to see marine life. As usual, when a Nicuesa staff member sees interesting wildlife, Alejandro called all staff and guests by walkie-talkie to come to the beach immediately.

For one of the hotel’s guests, seeing whale sharks in Costa Rica was a moment he’d waited his whole life for.

“It was an unforgettable experience for everyone,” said Natalia Solis, Sustainability Coordinator at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge. “Our guest was super grateful because whale sharks are his favorite animal, and by surprise this was his first time to ever see one … when he was at Nicuesa.”

“Without a doubt, this was the ‘Holy Grail’ of marine observation,” enthusiastically added Marcelo Lopez, resident manager at Nicuesa Lodge.

Whale Sharks

Whale sharks live in warm and tropical waters, and are considered to be the largest fish in the world – growing up to 40 feet (12m) long. Despite their name, whale sharks are not related to whales and are not mammals. And though they are in the shark family, whale sharks feed mainly on plankton and small fish.

Whale sharks usually swim with their huge gaping mouths wide open, making it easier to scoop up food along their way. After getting its fill, the whale shark will close its mouth and filter out the water through its gills, leaving only its meal trapped.

Despite being big and looking intimidating, whale sharks are surprisingly gentle, curious and non-aggressive. They tend to swim near the ocean’s surface, and snorkelers and scuba divers frequently report that they enjoy close encounters with whale sharks.

Whale sharks, which live to be 70 to 100 years old, at one time populated most of the Earth’s tropical waters, but their numbers are dwindling fast. These docile sharks are being hunted in the waters around Asia and are now endangered worldwide.

Rainforest and beach vacations in Costa Rica

Playa Nicuesa Lodge’s 165-acre private Costa Rica rainforest reserve is located in the extraordinary Golfo Dulce/Osa Peninsula region in southern Costa Rica. Accessible only by boat on the Pacific gulf of Golfo Dulce, the lodge fronts this important life zone for Pacific Humpback Whales, dolphins, hammerhead sharks, whale sharks and sea turtles. It is a unique Costa Rica adventure travel destination for its remote, pristine wilderness location.

Enjoy one free night in paradise when you stay a minimum of three or more nights at Nicuesa Lodge; valid through Sept. 30, 2016.

Article by Shannon Farley

Daniel Chavarría, presidente de Pro Imagen y Promotor Turístico del año

Una conversación con Daniel Chavarría



  Daniel Chavarría, personaje reconocido y admirado en la industria turística costarricense, ha sido reelecto como presidente de la junta directiva de Pro Imagen, pocos días después de ser galardonado con el reconocimiento a Promotor Turístico del año por ACOPROT, durante el acto inaugural de Expotur 2016.  Conversamos con el señor Chavarría para obtener sus impresiones de los eventos ocurridos en días pasados y conocer sus planes para el futuro.

 

 Durante su presidencia pasada liderando el Grupo Pro Imagen, los logros principales fueron el aumento del 25% en el presupuesto para promoción internacional otorgado por el Instituto Costarricense de Turismo.  Por primera vez esta institución agrega un rubro para mercadeo digital, haciendo posible el lanzamiento de un sitio web de primera generación en el 2015. También fue posible la inversión en mercadeo en línea como esfuerzos en redes sociales y la emisión de boletines informativos digitales aprovechando bases de datos.  Durante el 2015 se dio un incremento en la afiliación de los socios, 20 nuevas empresas entraron a ser parte de Pro Imagen.  Esto demuestra que las empresas privadas confían en las labores que se están realizando a nivel internacional y cada vez
muestran más su apoyo.

 

 Definitivamente otro logro importante fue el acercamiento con aerolíneas principales que tienen vuelos directos hacia Costa Rica.  Estas líneas aéreas apoyan los esfuerzos promocionales otorgando premios, con presencia durante eventos, apoyando en invitaciones y reconfirmaciones para eventos y con viajes de familiarización.

 

Su primera responsabilidad en este nuevo año como presidente de Pro Imagen será liderar la encerrona de la junta directiva para definir el presupuesto del 2017.  La intención será que el presupuesto otorgado por el ICT logre cubrir un territorio más amplio dentro de los Estados Unidos.  Durante el 2015 se abarcaron los estados de California, Texas, Nueva York y el país de Canadá, quedando por fuera ciudades en el estado de Florida y las ciudades de Chicago, Washington y Atlanta.  La meta es poder abarcar todos estos destinos en el 2016, y lograr abarcar tres ciudades por región, versus dos como se hizo en el 2015.  Durante el 2015 se concretó un viaje FAM con la aerolínea AVIANCA, durante el 2016 se quieren concretar por lo menos dos viajes FAM,
posiblemente con American Airlines y Alaska Airlines.

 

 Cuando le pregunto qué significó para él recibir el galardón como promotor turístico del año, el señor Chavarría responde: “Es un reconocimiento importante a una labor que uno hace con mucho amor y pasión de forma desinteresada para el país.”  Reitera que el hecho de que su nombre fuera postulado para este premio por sus colegas en el gremio turístico lo llena de orgullo y lo motiva para seguir haciendo las cosas bien.

 

 Artículo por Katie Widdowson

Spa at Pranamar Villas - Gaia Bodywork and Wellness

What does the term wellness really mean? Dictionary defines it as “the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal”, but if you ask around, it will mean something different to everyone.

Sebastian Campanile's studies have taken him to Argentina, Colombia and most recently Peru, where he studied Cranio Sacral Therapy, a form of bodywork or alternative therapy that uses light touch to manipulate joints in the cranium, spine and pelvis.  He has dedicated the past 17 years of his life researching holistic healing techniques.

Sebastian is in charge of operating Gaia Bodywork and Wellness Spa, inside of Pranamar Villas, and guests who visit the area are lucky enough to benefit from his experience and that of his team, who are all trained and constantly learning new techniques in their field.  A very important player in the experience at Gaia B and W is the setting where the treatments take place, outdoors, overlooking the beach, listening to the sounds of the waves and feeling the ocean breeze.  The open huts are a short walk away from the Yoga Shala studio and through a lovely garden. The goal is to be as natural, relaxed and private as possible, and guests appreciate this effort, because 75% of them are repeat customers at the spa.  Once they try one of the massages, Reiki or reflexology treatments, they come back for more.

The spa uses only organic locally produced lotions as well as the highest quality essential oils imported from the United States.  The team is also available to design custom made treatments for guests with specific needs.

Sebastian considers that there are three pillars involved in a healthy lifestyle, the practice of yoga, healthy conscious nutrition, and massage therapies.  All these pillars are put in practice at Pranamar Villas and Gaia Bodywork and Wellness.

Article by Katie Widdowson