By Laura Molinari
Paradise on earth does exist, at least for the nature
and animal lover, and its name is Delfin Amor. Located
in Drake Bay, Costa Rica, on the southernmost tip of
the Osa Peninsula, Delfin Amor Eco Lodge is a center
dedicated to the observation, appreciation, protection
and preservation of all marine wildlife, with a special
emphasis on cetaceans that’s dolphins and whales
to most of us.
Drake Bay itself has been called ‘the most biologically
diverse place on earth’ by National Geographic
and it’s easy to see why. Drake Bay is the sea,
spectacular marine life and the rainforest all in one.
Some of the creatures that you’re likely to see
on a daily basis include over 25 recorded species of
dolphins and whales, sea turtles, tropical fish, sailfish,
rays, innumerable species of birds and more. All this
is what led owner and founder of Delfin Amor, Sierra
Goodman, to fall in love with the area and make it her
home.
Goodman, originally a paralegal from California, went
on a dolphin tour during a trip to the Bahamas in 1997
that changed the course of her life. “Something
just happened to me that I cannot explain in words,”
explains Goodman. From that point on, she knew that
dolphins would become the center of her life.
Sierra went on to successfully run dolphin tours out
of Florida to Bimini, Bahamas, before she traveled to
Costa Rica in 1998. A string of coincidences caused
her to return months later, travel up and down both
the country’s coasts before falling in love with
Drake Bay and deciding to make it her new home.
Today, Delfin Amor is An eco lodge and Marine Education
Center whose main goal it is to research and protect
the dolphins, whales and other marine mammals in the
Drake Bay area. This goal is partly achieved through
the cetacean tours that the lodge offers to local and
foreign tourists. The lodge is also the home base for
Fundacion Vida Marina, which Sierra founded in order
to create the Osa Pacific Tropical Marine Sanctuary
in the waters surrounding Drake Bay. At the moment,
other than small areas around the national parks, the
area is totally unprotected. The biggest threat to the
marine life is commercial fishing, which not only dumps
trash into the ocean, but also catches dolphins, whales
and turtles in the long nets made for catching tuna.
Death is often the result. Long liners and shrimp boats
also frequent the area, causing great destruction to
the ocean habitats and it’s inhabitants.
At the moment, Costa Rica does not yet have a marine
sanctuary, only a “marine national park”
and Delfin Amor and Vida Marina are working to change
that. To do so, they must first prove what’s here.
There are currently three Costa Rican marine biologists
stationed at Delfin Amor and Vida Marina, gathering
data on how many animals there are, their behavior,
eating patterns and more, as well as documenting commercial
fishing activity. Vida Marina’s data has proved
that almost 78% of the Olive Ridley sea turtles have
disappeared in the last 6 years.
The cetaceans also need to be protected from humans
in the area. The staff and volunteers at Delfin Amor
and Vida Marina are trying very hard to educate locals
because they have no idea what’s there in their
own backyard. “We want to involve the whole community
in this project and let them see for themselves what’s
here and then they will be more motivated to protect
it,” says Sierra.
“Costa Rica could easily benefit from cetacean
tours if it’s done right and that’s a big
IF.” “It could be a great motivator for
action because people generally take action once they’ve
seen dolphins and whales in the wild and then realize
they’re being killed, the very same dolphins that
they saw.”
Motivate me my personal experience at Delfin Amor is
one not soon to be forgotten. After reading Sierra’s
personal accounts of dolphin and whale encounters, I
embarked on my trip open and ready to have a life changing
experience. During my two day stay, the dolphins did
not cooperate perhaps as much as I had dreamed, but
I developed an intense desire to return and a profound
admiration for the staff and volunteers at Delfin Amor
and everything they do for these amazing creatures.
My first day
Out on the water with the dolphins was exhilarating.
We first came across a large pod of spotted dolphins.
The Pantropic Spotted dolphin is the most common species
in Drake Bay.
Although the dolphins stuck around, we continued on
because we were on a quest for the playful spinner dolphins.
Along the way, we were lucky to come upon a fairly large
pod of rough tooth dolphins, a little known species
not often seen because, unlike other dolphins who need
to come up for air every five minutes, rough tooths
can stay under about 20 minutes, making them harder
to spot. We then returned to the spotted dolphins.
We were entertained with some breeches, tail slaps and
high flying jumps. I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t
like a dolphin and to see them in the flesh, in their
habitat, is an incomparable feeling. I was awed to think
that below, just out of sight, were a couple hundred
dolphins darting around, aware of my presence.
Back on shore I got a pre dinner surprise that made
me run down to the beach and forget all about food.
I was fortunate enough to witness of one life’s
miracles: the hatching of baby Ridley turtles and their
struggle to make their first journey into a sea full
of dangers. As dozens and dozens of tiny turtles come
spilling up out of the hole, all one could do was stand
and watch and be amazed. It was a glorious feeling to
see all the turtles make it to the sea but it was sad
to think that after all that struggle, only one or two
of those many, many turtles will live to adulthood.
Round two when asked if I wanted to go out on the water
the next day; I couldn’t get my “yes”
out fast enough. Within 10 minutes of being out on the
water, we spotted the distinctive spout of a whale.
A fin out of the water confirmed it was a humpback.
Drake Bay is blessed with humpbacks year round, those
who come south from California and those who come up
north from South America, a migration of more than 10,000
miles. They come to give birth to and nurse their newborns
in the bay’s sheltered waters. We all know whales
are big, but you will never realize how big until you
see one live. Even from a distance, I was floored by
what I was witnessing. A mother and baby humpback dove
and surfaced close to shore until they disappeared for
more than fifteen minutes. Off we went in search of
dolphins.
Going about 30 miles from shore, we again searched
for the spinners. No luck today either. In fact, it
seemed like we would be out of luck for most of the
day when by the afternoon we hadn’t spotted more
than a few sea turtles and one lone dolphin. Heading
back to where we saw the spotteds the day before, we
were in for a surprise. The spotteds were nowhere to
be seen, likely frightened off by the pseudorcas who
had taken their spot for the day. Sierra tells us in
excited tones that it has been more than five months
since they have seen pseudorcas. They are dolphins,
but much larger than the spotted dolphin with a rounder
face and bearing a resemblance to the infamous Orca
whale. For about 45 minutes we cruised alongside the
pseudorcas who chased fish under and around our boat
and making lots of noise that we could clearly hear
from the boat.
As the sun sank lower in the sky, it was time to make
the trip back to shore. On the way home, we again ran
into a mother and baby humpback, more than likely the
same ones from the morning. What a way to end the day.
What’s not to like? Living in a tropical paradise
getting in the water almost every day with dolphins
and whales, meeting new people constantly, what’s
the best part? “Although I like all of it, the
thing I like best is seeing people after they’ve
had a special encounter with dolphins,” explains
Sierra. “I love taking people out and seeing how
it affects them, that makes me really happy.”
Sierra hopes
To see the Foundation making its own money through
grants, donations and fundraising in the near future.
She also hopes that they will be able to acquire more
equipment, such as a new video camera and other necessary
research tools. “People feel empowed on our tours
because not only do they get to see dolphins and whales
doing what they do in their natural habitat, but they
are also supporting our foundation and our research
work. It is a win situation!”
If you’d like to support the creation of a marine
sanctuary by seeing dolphins and whales in wild, contact
Delfin Amor at: reservations@divinedolphin.com by calling
847-3131 or visit www.divinedolphin.com
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