Conserving Marine Mammals in Costa Rica

Our location on the Gulfo Dolce was exceptionally beautiful. The food was wonderful and nutritious, with local dishes and with lots of fresh fruits. I loved the fresh fruit juice every morning along with the coffee. We were a well-matched volunteer team of two. David, who headed the project for us, was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about this research and conservation effort. His ability to utilize volunteers’ abilities and to share the joy in our experiences was exceptional. We were out on the water for ~ 4 hours each morning and saw cetaceans 5 of 6 days. These included bottlenose dolphins, spotted dolphins, and false killer whales. We had lunch and rested after returning to land. We did data entry late afternoon. We met via video with [Lead Scientist] Dr. Lenin to learn more about the project and review our day’s data. Always, dinner was delicious. Evenings were relaxing with a beautiful night sky and fireflies

This expedition to Costa Rica was one of the most exhilarating experiences I've ever had. I'm not typically a water person, however, I loved our time in the boat. The sky and clouds were gorgeous and the breeze was refreshing and cooling from the heat of the day. Then a dolphin or two or three or an entire pod is spotted and the excitement and thrill of witnessing these amazing creatures in their natural habitat are just out of this world. We were busy taking photos and videos of them along with documenting valuable data on location, species, water temperature, etc. We were like children waking up to the best Christmas ever. And it was wonderful to have both [Field Team Leader] David and the boat captain thrilled as much as we were. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to witness a group of male dolphins putting on a spectacular performance to attract female attention. They were literally flying in the air. So many of them, one right after the other or two or three at the same time. Made me wish I were a wildlife photographer. In the early evening, we had zoom classes with [Lead Scientist] Lenin Enrique Oviedo Correa who filled in a lot of detailed information on biological data to sustain the preservation of this critical habitat. You could feel his love and dedication for Golfo Dulce and its cetaceans. We were fed very well by Azucena who prepared our 3 daily meals all gluten-free. Accommodations are very basic so one needs to be prepared with that which we pretty much were from previous travel experiences. On our day off [Field Team Leader] David made arrangements for us to hike into the rainforest with a guide. David also accompanied us to ensure our safety and interpret and explain some wonders of the rainforest. When we left for our flight back to San Jose, David stayed with us until we got on the plane. We were very much taken care of. All in all, a fabulous experience!

This expedition was a fantastic, once in a lifetime experience! It was really interesting to learn about the potential impacts to the whales and dolphins in Golfo Dulce and how the work that Lenin and David are doing can help reduce that impact. I learned a lot about what they do as scientists and it was really great to feel like I was actually helping to further their research. They are very protective of these dolphins and whales and that was contagious for all of us. Going out on the boat to see the dolphins and whales up close was a highlight - I got a picture of a baby whale with his mouth open! So cute! Also, fishing with the long line was an unexpected fun activity - we caught a small tiger shark, inspected and measured it, then put it back. What other trip would you go on where you could do that?? This was an excellent trip! So glad I went.