A collection of photos from last Sunday's Golfo Dulce Festival

By Pilar Bernal Castro

To promote the conservation of marine resources in the Golfo Dulce, Osa Conservation’s Environmental Education Program, with the support of the Environmental Coalition of Puerto Jimenez, held ??the first Golfo Dulce Festival on Sunday, May 13.

More than 100 participants from the communities of La Palma, Cañaza, poppy, Agouti, Needles and Carbonera came out to the festival. Also represented were the Coastal and Marine Program of the Osa Conservation Area (PROMACOSA), the Coast Guard, the National Federation of Artisanal Fishermen (FENOPEA) Costa Rican Fisheries Federation (FECOP) and other conservation organizations such as PRETOMA, KETO, Misión Tiburón and Corcovado Foundation.

From 9 am until 3 pm, students from Corcovado Kindergarten School sang songs while event participants enjoyed the scheduled activities. Recreational activities included various themes related to mangrove conservation, a play and puppet show, marine bingo and presentations from the various attending organizations.

Participants enjoyed the day with their families, playing and learning about the valuable marine and coastal resources of the Golfo Dulce, and how to help preserve them.

Pilar Bernal Castro is the manager of Osa Conservation’s Education and Outreach Programs in the Osa Peninsula.

Side by side, you can begin to see the characteristics that visibly differentiate the three sea turtle species we documented inside Golfo Dulce.

When we began our research, nobody expected us to find very many sea turtles inside Golfo Dulce — most sea turtle activity was thought to occur on the Pacific side of the Osa Peninsula. It turned out that chelonids were the most frequently seen family of animals, accounting for 38 percent of our total sightings. Discovering such significant numbers of sea turtles was one of our most important findings. Sadly, fishermen with many years of experience in Golfo Dulce say the sea turtles there have declined at least 30 percent in recent years.

Jorge and I documented three species: Pacific Black sea turtles, still commonly referred to as “Greens” (Chelonia mydas agassizii), Olive Ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) and Hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata). Locals also reported seeing near-extinct Pacific Leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) inside Golfo Dulce. That’s four endangered species of sea turtles utilizing the embayment. Amazing!

Our biseasonal data show Golfo Dulce to be a year-round feeding and breeding area for endangered Green sea turtles. We logged over a hundred sightings of them between both surveys. This species, by far the most common, was usually observed in the upper regions of the gulf resting at the sea surface. But we also documented Green sea turtles mating in all four quadrants of the inlet, so their use of the fiord waters appears widespread.

Although some amount of nesting may occur throughout the year, the primary nesting period for Olive Ridley sea turtles in Costa Rica is from July to December — the rainy season. Although we did see a couple Olive Ridleys in January/February, we weren’t surprised that the numbers and frequency of sightings rose dramatically in July/August. During the rainy season survey, nineteen Olive Ridley sea turtles were documented, including a pair mating just off-shore from Puerto Jiménez. Every lora, as the Olive Ridley is called in Spanish, was observed in the lower half of the gulf, suggesting that is the primary sector for them

Between 2010 and 2011, we saw only ten Hawksbill sea turtles. They were found in various locations around the gulf, although all close to the shoreline. The small population of Hawksbills in Golfo Dulce is particularly important because this species is critically endangered. In fact, until recently Hawksbills were considered functionally extinct in the eastern Pacific! Called carey in Spanish, this species is often locally described as “the little turtle”, something that was confusing to me at first, since the Olive Ridley is published as the smallest species inhabiting Costa Rican waters. But of course the locals were right. The Hawksbills seen during our surveys were unquestionably the tiniest.

Since sea turtles nest along the shores of Golfo Dulce, people who find their tracks are often curious which species left them. While Olive Ridleys and Hawksbills crawl one front flipper over the other, leaving an asymmetrical track in the sand, Greens pull with both flippers—like dual canoe oars—creating a more balanced print. The size of the tracks can also help determine the species.

Anyone with interest in learning more about sea turtles or working with them on the Osa Peninsula should check out the Osa Conservation’s Sea Turtle Conservation Program.

Brooke Bessesen conducted Marine research at the Osa in 2010 and 2011 as a recipient of the Greg Gund Memorial Fellowship. Check out her Golfo Dulce report on our website.

Dolphin B43 shown alongside a rendered outline of its dorsal fin. We saw this individual five times.

An unexpected but delightful result of our survey work in Golfo Dulce was the identification of about 80 individual Bottlenose dolphins (Turciops truncatus), some of which can be seen in the Appendix of my 2010 report.

How does one go about identifying dolphins? Well, pioneering biologists studying various species discovered ingenious ways to distinguish individuals. Jaguars have unique spots. Gorillas have unique nose prints. Dolphins have unique dorsal fins. By examining the shape, natural markings, scars and trailing edge, a dorsal may appear as distinct as a fingerprint. Of course dolphins don’t sit quietly at the surface while you study the intricacies of their dorsal patterns, so ID work is best done through photos. Luckily, we managed to get photographs for almost 90 percent of our dolphin sightings.

A good close-up photo allows us to visualize, even trace, the dorsal outline. Once we “know” a dolphin, we can often recognize it from a distance. Then we can go back and look for it in other sighting photos and thus begin tracking its movements, as well as associations with fellow dolphins. It’s a tedious task, yet also exciting. Suddenly a sea of dorsal fins becomes an intriguing puzzle of “who’s who”.

Photo-ID catalogs and databases are created to expand scientific understanding of dolphin populations and their habitats. But good science is only part of it. I also hope our photo-ID images will serve as outreach material. Familiarity breeds a sense of responsibility — we are more likely to help those we know — so by introducing the Osa community to their dolphin neighbors, people may be even more inspired to protect them.

Brooke Bessesen conducted Marine research at the Osa in 2010 and 2011 as a recipient of the Greg Gund Memorial Fellowship. Check out her Golfo Dulce report on our website.

These three photos show a baby Humpback whale next to its resting mama – TOP: nursing; MIDDLE: breathing; and BOTTOM: spyhopping

A variety of whale species may be found in the eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Costa Rica, including Byrde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni), Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) and Killer whale (Orcinus orca). But the most commonly seen whale inside the Golfo Dulce is the Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), a species that annually migrates from colder feeding grounds near the magnetic poles to warmer equatorial breeding and birthing grounds.

In fact, the area around the Osa Peninsula is a really special place for Humpbacks — it is the only known place in the world where the migration paths of whales from both the northern and southern hemispheres cross over. Because the Arctic and Antarctic seasons are opposing, Humpbacks from the North Pacific Ocean spend time inside the Golfo Dulce during January and February while Humpbacks from the Southern Ocean normally arrive during July and August. That means whales are coming and going from the gulf throughout much of the year.

We logged 25 Humpbacks during our surveys, mostly mothers with young calves. The whales were often seen traveling up into the embayment, possibly seeking sanctuary from the open sea. We even witnessed a baby Humpback nursing — an experience Jorge and I will never forget! That sighting plus birthing events reported to us during both seasons suggest that embayment may even be a haven for Humpback nativity. Isn’t that remarkable? Indeed, the more we learn about the role the Golfo Dulce plays in the whales’ ecology, the more important it appears.

It is incredible to think how far Humpback whales travel to visit the Golfo Dulce and we can only hope the calm gulf waters will always offer those gentle titans safe retreat at the end of their long journey.

Brooke Bessesen conducted Marine research at the Osa in 2010 and 2011 as a recipient of the Greg Gund Memorial Fellowship. Check out her Golfo Dulce report on our website.

Mapping our sighting points from both surveys (Red = dry season, 2010; Purple = rainy season, 2011) shows high-use areas for marine fauna inside the gulf, especially near Puerto Jimenez, the upper coastline of Piedras Blancas National Park and the large river outlets.

As one of only four tropical fiords in the world, the Golfo Dulce is worthy of both exploration and preservation. Much like its terrestrial counterpart, the surrounding Osa Peninsula, the unique oceanic inlet supports an abundance of critical wildlife. Despite this diversity scientific publications about the gulf’s extensive marine life remain limited. So when a proposed tuna farm near the mouth of the gulf gained footing in 2009, I proposed a research project to Osa Conservation to collect baseline data about what marine species utilize the embayment and which areas they frequent.

In 2010 and 2011, with vital support from Osa community members and funding from a Greg Gund Memorial Fellowship, two multi-species sighting surveys were conducted in the Golfo Dulce from a small boat — one during the dry season, and another in the rainy season. I was the principal investigator, but the work could not have been done without the expertise of research assistant and boat captain Jorge Largaespada. Jorge has almost 40 years of experience living in the Osa and working and fishing in the Golfo Dulce. He is a masterful guide on land and by sea and can spot wildlife, especially dolphins, from an astonishing distance.

Throughout both surveys, Jorge and I logged a total of 424 systematic observation hours during 55 days on the water. We recorded 458 sightings for over 38 species of fauna, and our study revealed some interesting things.* What were the highlights? Well, here we begin a blog series to help distill some of our most important findings. In the coming posts I will cover a variety of species from whales and dolphins to sea turtles and sea snakes, and share a few photos along the way. I hope you enjoy this peek at some of the amazing wildlife we observed in the Golfo Dulce.

By Brooke Bessesen

*Should you prefer to read a more detailed account of our study, there are two papers available on the website of Osa Conservation: Project Report and Summary of Multi-Species Marine Sighting Survey in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, January–February 2010 and the Rainy Season Extension of The Multi-Species Marine Sighting Survey in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, July–August 2011.

DECEMBER 17-22

Space is still available on our Holiday Birding Trip, so join us for spectacular birding through the tropical forests of the Osa Peninsula! This five-day trip includes extensive birding, forest hikes, and nightly talks and excursions with our staff of biologists and conservation professionals.  The trip culminates in the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count—where you, along with thousands of other citizen scientists throughout the Americas, can participate in the longest running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations.

The Osa Peninsula is the wildest, yet most under-birded, corner of the country.  It is home to over 460 species of birds, including the healthiest population of Scarlet Macaws in Central America, Red-capped Manakins, Yellow-billed and Turquoise Contingas, and even the Harpy Eagle.  Osa Conservation’s birding trips are led by resident ornithologist, Karen Leavelle, as well as trained naturalist guides who are intimately familiar with the bird species and tropical ecosystems of the Osa.

Your participation in the Holiday Birding Tour directly supports OC’s avian conservation and education programs. We invite you to be part of our mission to conserve the Peninsula’s globally significant biodiversity and we hope to see you on one of these fantastic trips!

For more information on our Holiday Birding Tour, or to see a trip itinerary, please visit our website at www.osaconservation.org/ConservationTrips.html. For trip registration or questions please contact Emily Angell at emilyangell@osaconservation.org or Karen Leavelle at karenleavelle@osaconservation.org.

September 18^th represented the 3^rd Annual Sea Turtle festival on Carate Beach.  About 100 members of Carate, Puerto Jiménez, and surrounding communities participated in sea turtle discussions, presentations fun activities with the theme of conservation.

The festival began with an interactive discussion with children and adults about the principal biological characteristics of the Osa, the turtle species that nest here, and the objectives and activities of the Sea Turtle Conservation Program developed by Osa Conservation on the beaches of Piro, Pejeperro and Carate.

Club Ambiental Las Abejitas of the Saturnino Cedeño School, under Laura Castro’s direction, prepared a theatrical skit for the event about the life of a sea turtle and the natural hazards and human threats that they face as well as the precautions that we must take on the sea turtle nesting beaches.

Activities included games on the beach, like turtle races and turtle sand castles, and a quiz competition about Osa’s biodiversity.  All participants in the event received informative material about sea turtle conservation, stickers, posters, and t-shirts for those who correctly answered the most questions.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s event a success in raising awareness of the importance of conserving these incredible species.

Special thanks to:

SEEturtles, Luna Lodge, La Leona Lodge, ASCONA, Finca Exótica, Dereck Ferguson, Hacienda Río Oro, the Bellanero family, ACOSA, Tranquility, Frontier, Lapa Rios, Hoja de Osa School, Club Ambiental Las Abejitas, Laura Castro, and Mauricio Gutiérrez.

August 7^th represented the second Day of Beach Cleaning along sea turtle nesting beaches in Osa.  With the participation of around 150 volunteers from the community, local hotels, personnel from Osa Conservation Area, Frontier volunteers and Osa Conservation employees, we were able to collect waste along 12 km of beaches, from Carate to Matapalo.

Starting off early in the morning to take advantage of low tide, the groups divided up throughout the area with plastic bags, gloves, sun screen and lots of water.  The day of cleaning continued past noon, when the participants came together at the Piro Biological Station to have lunch and end with a soccer game.

As with every year, the majority of the waste found on the beaches was plastic bottles and pieces of Styrofoam, which shows us how businesses and consumers still have to work towards being more environmentally responsible.

We hope that this clean-up will help the sea turtles in their difficult journey from the sea to the beach and back again, a journey that, although short, implies a great physical effort on their part which they undertake with the goal of conserving their species.

Thank you to the following participants:
Lapa Rios, Bosque del Cabo, El Remanso, the Bellanero family, Hacienda Rio Oro,  ISEAMI, Lookout Inn, Finca Exótica, Luna Lodge, La Leona Lodge, ACOSA, FRONTIER, the community and Asdrúbal Cordero.

Parade for International Year of Forests Celebration

Stencil painting activity with ASCONA for International Year of Forests

Puerto Jimenez students performing a traditional dance for International Year of Forests celebration

Check out these exciting programs and events happening in Osa!

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF FORESTS
In celebration of the United Nations International Year of Forests, FOO’s environmental education program began tropical rainforest workshops in April with students and teachers from 13 Osa schools.

There was an exciting opening event on Saturday April 30th, with the participation of MINAET and ICE and the collaboration of organizations such as TNC, Neotropica, Yaguara, ACEPESA, Shark Quest, ASCONA and RANA Group.  The event featured fun education and recreational activities as well as lectures and presentations of research happening throughout the Osa Peninsula.

The celebration will continue in August, September and October with a student reforestation campaign aiming to plant 4,000 native trees along Osa’s deforested stream banks!

Face painting fun at International Year of Forests event

SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT
This year, Friends of the Osa’s environmental education program has partnered with the Central American Association for Economy, Health and Environment (ACEPESA) on a project called “Capacity Building in Coastal Communities of the Golfo Dulce to Improve Sanitary Conditions.”  This program serves to educate the communities of La Palma, Guadeloupe, Puerto Escondido, and students and teachers of 10 Osa schools, about the importance of watershed protection and the sustainable management of water resources.  Through this program, students will learn about the merits of alternative wastewater management systems, such as bioswales—systems that function as wetlands, catching and treating domestic wastewater naturally to prevent contamination of groundwater, rivers and soil.

YEARLY TRASH PICK-UP

In July, FOO will again host the annual community beach clean-up!  With the support of many Osa community members, we will pick up trash along the sea turtle nesting beaches from Piro to Peje Perro lagoon, as well as along the beaches and mangroves of Puerto Jiménez. Look out for posts and pictures from this amazing yearly event.

SEA TURTLE EDUCATION
In the months of October and November, FOO will be hosting sea turtle education workshops at Independence School and Academic College in La Palma. Look out for posts and pictures from these upcoming events.