Protecting Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica on World Oceans Day 2015

Out on the calm, clear, jade green-blue water of the Golfo Dulce (“Sweet Gulf”) in southern Costa Rica, it is easy to think this must be one of the most pristine, beautiful places on Earth. And it is. This inner sea is a critical habitat for endangered migrating southern Pacific humpback whales, dolphins and sharks, among other marine life.

Then our boat passes a small patch of floating plastic bottles, chips bags and other random flotsam. Trash. Human trash. And we are reminded that if anything were to ruin this amazing creation, it would be humans.



World Oceans Day on June 8 reminds us to honor and protect the beauty and life of the world’s oceans. The annual event by the United Nations focuses this year on the theme “Healthy oceans, healthy planet” and especially on eradicating plastic pollution.

“The ocean and its wildlife are choking on plastic, and we need to both stop this pollution at the source, and clean it up from the coasts,” states the World Oceans Day information. “The ocean is the heart of our planet. Like your heart pumping blood to every part of your body, the ocean connects people across the Earth, no matter where we live. The ocean regulates the climate, feeds millions of people every year, produces oxygen, is the home to an incredible array of wildlife, provides us with important medicines, and so much more! In order to ensure the health and safety of our communities and future generations, it’s imperative that we take the responsibility to care for the ocean as it cares for us.”



On the inside of Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, Golfo Dulce is approximately 50 km (31 miles) long and 10-15 km (6 -9 miles) wide with a steeply sloped deep inner basin. It is this depth, bottoming out around 215 m (705 ft.), and low human impact of the remote, sheltered gulf that attracts large marine life.



Endangered Pacific humpback whales from the southern hemisphere migrate here every August to October to breed and give birth. The gulf is vital to the species’ survival, according to the Center for Cetacean Research of Costa Rica (CEIC), which is lobbying with other environmental organizations to create a Marine Protected Area within Golfo Dulce.



Dolphins – Bottlenose Dolphins, Spotted Dolphins, Spinner Dolphins, and occasionally-seen False Killer Whales – and also sharks live in these waters. You can find tiger sharks and different species of hammerhead sharks in Golfo Dulce. The area is particularly key for hammerhead sharks, which also come to the gulf to breed and give birth – usually beginning in May. Juvenile sharks then grow for four years in unprotected areas in the Golfo Dulce, according to Andrés López, investigator for the organization Misión Tiburón (Shark Mission) in Costa Rica.

“Every day we are convinced more about the importance of Golfo Dulce for sharks. Today at dawn we marked 13 hammerhead sharks and two tiger sharks,” reported Misión Tiburón on their Facebook page.



Visit Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica

See amazing marine life in the Golfo Dulce when you stay at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica. Set in the rainforest on a remote beach of the Golfo Dulce, the Costa Rica eco-lodge offers boat tours in Golfo Dulce to see marine life and during whale-watching season. You also frequently can see beautiful bioluminescence in the gulf on clear nights.

Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge holds the highest Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) in Costa Rica, and recently received the Ecological Blue Flag Award for the fifth time for keeping one of the cleanest beaches in Costa Rica free of trash and pollution.
Contact Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge to visit the unique nature and adventure travel destination.

Article by Shannon Farley  

 

A liquid sky of blue stars – bioluminescence in Costa Rica

One of my absolute favorite scenes in the 2012 movie “Life of Pi” is when a huge glittering whale jumps out of a sparkling night sea behind Pi’s raft, everything around them glowing from amazing bioluminescence. Another favorite is the illuminated neon forest in the movie “Avatar.”



Bioluminescence is most common in the tropics. Walking along a tropical beach at night or sea kayaking after dark, especially the closer you get to the equator, you often can see sparkling lights in the water. It seems as if the ocean is a liquid sky of blue stars.

“Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism as the result of a chemical reaction during which chemical energy is converted to light energy,” according to Science Daily.

Bioluminescence occurs in many marine animal species – bacteria, plankton, fish, jellyfish, squid and crustaceans. It also exists in some fungi, microorganisms and terrestrial invertebrates – think of fireflies and glow worms. Marine life depends on their bioluminescence for finding food, attracting mates and evading predators, according to Science Journal. Sometimes thousands of square miles of ocean shine with the light of bioluminescent bacteria or plankton. For instance, Puerto Rico is famous for its three bioluminescent bays.
In Costa Rica, bioluminescence is a frequent occurrence in the Golfo Dulce. This southern Pacific region of Costa Rica by the Osa Peninsula is full of amazing biodiversity. Golfo Dulce is a critical habitat for migrating Pacific Humpback Whales, dolphins and sea turtles.



A good place to see bioluminescence in Golfo Dulce is at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge. On a non-rainy night when the sky is really dark with no moon, or enough clouds to hide any moon, walk down to Nicuesa Lodge’s boat dock to see if you can observe any bioluminescence in the sea. The water glows more when the microorganisms in it are agitated, so if it is a bioluminescent night, ask the guides to take you out in the kayaks for a paddle close to shore.

When you sea kayak in the illuminated water, every paddle stroke is like fireworks. Why the lights appear blue and green is because those are the light wavelengths that can transmit most easily through seawater, reports Science Daily. Sometimes you might even see dolphins eerily glowing in the bioluminescent water.

About Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge

Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge recently received the Ecological Blue Flag Award for the fifth time for having one of Costa Rica’s cleanest beaches. Bordering the Piedras Blancas National Park, the Costa Rica rainforest lodge holds the highest Sustainable Tourism Program rating, and offers nature tours in the rainforest and ocean adventure tours around Golfo Dulce.

Article by Shannon Farley

5 Tropical beaches you want to visit in southern Costa Rica

Tucked between the Osa Peninsula and the southern Pacific region of Costa Rica, the “Sweet Gulf” of Golfo Dulce is the perfect destination for nature lovers and adventure-seekers.
Circling the warm blue waters of Golfo Dulce is a tropical rainforest with secluded beaches and an amazing biodiversity. Here you can encounter all four species of monkeys – white-faced Capuchin, spider, howler and the endangered squirrel monkey, Scarlet Macaws, toucans, coatis, wild pigs, exotic snakes, ocelots and jaguars, to name a few. Golfo Dulce is a critical habitat for migrating Pacific Humpback Whales, dolphins and sea turtles.
Beaches in southern Costa Rica are pretty and pristine. Here are 5 tropical beaches – called “playas” in Costa Rica – that you don’t want to miss when visiting the Osa Peninsula and Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica.

Playa Nicuesa

Home of the award-winning eco-hotel Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge, Playa Nicuesa recently received the Ecological Blue Flag Award for the fifth time for having one of Costa Rica’s cleanest beaches. Playa Nicuesa is located in the lower middle of Golfo Dulce on the mainland side; its 165-acre private rainforest preserve borders the Piedras Blancas National Park. Golfito is a 25-minute boat ride away, and across the Gulf, Puerto Jimenez is 30 minutes away. The Costa Rica rainforest lodge holds the highest Sustainable Tourism Program rating, and offers adventure and nature tours in the rainforest and around Golfo Dulce. The beach is mostly small pebbles with dark sand, fringed by palm and coastal almond trees -- usually full of wild Scarlet Macaws. Best features: crystal clear water that changes color from bright blue to jade green; jumping off the Nicuesa Lodge dock into cool water; and watching dolphins swim past shore.




Playa San Josecito

Just around a small rocky point from Playa Nicuesa, to the south, is Playa San Josecito – a long crescent-shaped dark sand beach that steeply drops into the water. At the west end of the beach is Casa Orquideas Botanical Garden, a beautifully landscaped private tropical garden with hundreds of species of ornamental and edible plants that have been collected and cared for by Ron and Trudy MacAllister, who have lived in this remote region since the 1970s. Best features: taking a guided tour of Casa Orquideas Botanical Garden; fishing by kayak just offshore.



Playa Cativo

This pretty little beach is within the Piedras Blancas National Park up in the inner gulf. Playa Cativo also won the Costa Rica Ecological Blue Flag Award for 2014. When the tide is low, there is dark sand beach; when the water is high, you only have the manicured green lawns of Playa Cativo Lodge. Best features: snorkeling at coral reefs nearby; spotting Humpback Whales during whale-watching season.


 
Playa Cana Blanca

Home to the Osa Wildlife Sanctuary, which rescues and rehabilitates orphaned and injured wild animals, Playa Cana Blanca is also contiguous with Piedras Blancas National Park. This is one of the few completely sandy beaches in Golfo Dulce, and it is gorgeous. Take a tour of the sanctuary and you’ll meet a wide variety of animals, from spider monkeys and white-faced monkeys to sloths, kinkajous, tayras, ocelots, anteaters and Scarlet Macaws. Best features: meeting the animals at Osa Wildlife Sanctuary and learning about their work; relaxing on the beautiful beach.



Playa Balina

This little-known dark sand beach is located in the inner Golfo Dulce, and is best known for its snorkeling.

Article by Shannon Farley