Category Archives: Costa Rica Adventures

Nature is a Mother

A small group of kayakers paddled alongside the shores of the Osa Peninsula in Golfo Dulce, sunlight reflecting emerald rainforest on the cerulean sea. Oaring their way around a tip of land and into a serene bay, the threesome unexpectedly came … Continue reading

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Time to Celebrate!

Jump for joy! The impending Yellowfin tuna farm permitted for construction near the mouth of Golfo Dulce has been stopped! As Jorge would say, “Yipy!” In early November SETENA (Costa Rica’s Environmental Secretariat) took decisive action when it ended negotiations … Continue reading

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Do I Know You? Building a Foto-ID Catalog of Bottlenose Dolphins in Golfo Dulce

Most of you know I have been working toward identifying the Bottlenose dolphins (Turciops truncatus) inside Golfo Dulce. After my first round of research I was able to recognize about 40 individual dolphins, some of which can be seen in my 2010 report. … Continue reading

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GOLFO DULCE 2011, PART 4: And Her Eyes Sparkled with the Secret of It

Now the days float by in blues and teals and misty greys. I feel like Margaret Wise Brown’s black kitten, peering  from my seaward vessel in search of life’s secrets. What will we find today? Perhaps a little island. Although our … Continue reading

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GOLFO DULCE 2011, PART 3: Rub-a-dub-dub, a Toy Boat in the Tub

Jorge and I wasted no time getting out on the water in our miniture-sized boat, newly named Caja de Fósforos, and that first day had a coming-home feeling. The Gulf was just as I remembered it and I found myself delighting … Continue reading

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GOLFO DULCE 2011, PART 2: Another Year, Another Broken Boat

The 50 hp motor we needed to push our 19-foot Raya was on the fritz. The gear box was shot. Having just arrived to discover the fact, I put on my best no-worries-every-problem-has-a-solution smile  and sat with Mike to explore my options—none … Continue reading

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GOLFO DULCE 2011, PART 1: One Ticket to Paradise

I arrived in Puerto Jiménez, Costa Rica on a perfect Sunday morning after curving down out of the clouds and sweeping over my beloved Golfo Dulce. Stepping onto the tarmac, a twinkle of birdsong rushed from the green forest to greet me and a … Continue reading

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Grant Approved for Extension Survey of Golfo Dulce

Guess what?!? We have another eco-adventure ahead! I just received notice that my recent proposal was approved by Friends of the Osa (www.osaconservation.org). I have been granted another Greg Gund Memorial Fellowship to continue my conservation research in Costa Rica, so I’ll be returning to the Osa … Continue reading

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Golfo Dulce data on OBIS SEAMAP

As you know, I recently attended the American Cetacean Society Conference in California. There Dr. Pat Halpin succinctly stated, “Effective marine spatial planning requires accurate, detailed and accessible information on marine life.”  Indeed, collecting and publishing such information was the exact goal of … Continue reading

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The Proof is in the Pudding

Here we are at last. After two months working with Jorge on the Osa Peninsula, eighty-two interviews with fishermen and guides, thirty days on the water, and several subsequent months of data analysis, literature reviews and writing, my project report … Continue reading

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