Conservation in Southern Costa Rica

Conservation

With over 25% of the country set aside to preserve wildlife & rainforest Costa Rica has lots to see. This humid region, in the pacific southwest, comprises some of the largest stands of rainforest in central America.

To contribute to a needed conservation effort contact any of the foundations, groups or hotels listed below. Find out about volunteering a few days of your vacation. Opportunities range from collecting turtle eggs, to feeding monkeys and baby sloths to planting trees. You can also work in local villages and help fix up schools and live with Costa Rican families.

Marine Life

by Sierra President,
Fundacion Delfin de Costa Rica

Costa Rica is famous for her biologically intense rainforest. What most people don't know is that Costa Rica’s oceans are equally abundant with dolphins, whales, sea turtles and other marine animals.

Costa Rica enjoys one of the most biologically diverse ocean ecosystems in the world. This is mainly because the heart of a vast habitat known as the Costa Rican Thermal Convection Dome (named for its proximity to this country), lies here. Shallow, warm waters lie on top of low-oxygen cold water, creating the perfect ecosystem for a vast variety of marine life. The dome off the coast of Costa Rica is the only one in the world that is constant. Whales, dolphins, tuna, marlin, manta rays, sea turtles, sailfish and more all congregate near the Costa Rican coasts, taking advantage of this year-round dome of ecologically rich waters.

There are over 25 species of dolphins and whales that can be found off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Humpback whales from both North America and South America migrate here to have their babies and breed, giving us the longest season of humpbacks in the world. Orcas, Psuedo Orcas, Sei Whales, Brydes Whales, Pilot Whales, Beaked Whales, Fin Whales, Bottlenose Dolphins, Pantropical Spotted Dolphins, Costa Rican Spinner Dolphins, Rough Tooth Dolphins, Risso Dolphins, Common Dolphins and Stripped Dolphins are all seen on our research tours.

With all the cetacea that can be found here, commercial fishing is rampant.

We see the harmful ramifications of commercial fishing in this area on a daily basis. This includes long lines left drifting in the water (which entangles and kills sea turtles, dolphins, and other animals), destruction of sea beds and environments by shrimp boats, trash dumped by commercial fishermen, and dolphins and whales harmed or killed by drift nets, long lines and tuna boats. We continually see long lines stretched out across river mouths, within ¼ mile of the shore, and in the direct travel path of the whales and dolphins.

We have been interacting with a large group of Spinner dolphins when the helicopter from a commercial tuna fishing boat began to circle us. Their job is to find the dolphins and call the tuna boat. A large net is set up using speed boats, which race around the dolphins, in order catch the tuna swimming underneath. This type of netting kills and maims thousands and thousands of dolphins every year. It is now believed that more than two thousand Spinner dolphins per year are being killed in Costa Rica by the tuna industry. This type of dolphin is called the “Costa Rican Spinner Dolphin” because it is only found in a 95 mile wide band off the coast of Costa Rica. If they are killed off, there will be no more Costa Rican Spinner Dolphins.

FUNDELFIN’S team of marine biologists, researchers and volunteers are hard at work to make the sanctuary and our education programs a reality.

Our present and future projects are as follows:

To have the waters off of the Osa Peninsula named as an international marine sanctuary
Educational presentations to local schools, visitors, and other groups about the dolphins and whales and other marine life
Research to document characteristics of dolphins' and whales' daily life, habitat, breeding and migration patterns, etc. for publication and presentation
Resource materials for reference and educational presentations
Video documentaries, including the making of a marine sanctuary, on individual species of dolphins, an instructional video on the proper approach and interaction techniques with cetaceans, and the spinner dolphin/tuna connection.
Student Internship and field study opportunities
Information sharing and networking with local boat captains, guides, scientists, visitors and other agencies and organizations
Recommendations and guidelines for boats entering the dolphins' and whales' home territory
Guided boat excursions to encounter dolphins and whales for research and education purposes and to help defray the costs of research
Research with sound/music and marine mammals’ response to it
Construct and maintain a turtle “nursery” including monitoring and local education

Your support of FUNDELFIN will help us to create the marine sanctuary necessary to protect this biologically diverse marine environment and all of its incredible inhabitants.

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