Costa Rica 2023
Field Work
We loaded on the boat this morning as usual, set in our routine. As we took off, an aura of anticipation fell over the boat. Joking and laughing we could all feel it- we wanted today, our last day on the boat, to be somehow spectacular. “Maybe we’ll see a humpback whale, bottlenose dolphin, and a spotted dolphin jumping all at once”, “We’ll see three belugas today”, “I’m calling for sea turtles,”. The excitement in the air was nearly tangible, but none of us could have predicted the magic that the morning had in store for us.
Not even ten minutes in, dorsal fins were spotted in the distance: Bottlenose dolphins. We raced to their sides and were rewarded with views of three dolphins: grandmother, mother, and baby. The calm, clear water made for incredible viewing of the dolphins swimming right beside and below our boat. We saw the grandmother dolphin, whom David recognized as a local resident- Star- holding a fish in her mouth. We deduced that she was probably teaching the youngsters to hunt. One of the calves was incredibly curious and continuously swam up to our boat turning onto its side and back and giving us sideways glances- checking out the interesting creatures watching it from the boat. The calf swam with us just under the water for nearly an hour. We soon realized that our curious friends were not the only dolphins in the water, but that we were surrounded by over a dozen dolphins. Fins popped up in the water around us, tails flipped into the air, and dolphins jumped from the water, full bodies arching through the air. It was incredible.
After a couple hours, we bid adieu to the dolphins and headed to a swimming beach. A few of us opted into snorkeling through the warm, clear water and spotted paddlefish and puffer fish darting through the coral. We had a picnic on the rocky shore and headed back to the lodge. Only a few minutes from the lodge, we could see dolphins in the background, leaping into the air, a sweet farewell for our beautiful time spent in Golfo Dulce.
DAY 7
Katie "River" Brown
Workshop
We spent some time in the afternoon doing photo identification. Flipping through hundreds of photographs- checking the dorsal fin photos for their focus, angle, masking, and exposure. We met with Dr. Lenin in the early evening and discussed the presence of LLD (Lobomicosis Like Disease) in Bottlenose Nose dolphins. In Golfo Dulce, LLD, a skin disease caused by fungus, is present in several male dolphins such as Hook, Mushroom, and Scrappy. We discussed that the dedregation of the environment, due to agricultural runoff, make the dolphins’ immune systems weaker and making them more susceptible to the disease. We talked specifically into about the Palm Oil industry which is causing deforestation, soil acidification, and fertilizer and pesticide runoff. This seems to be a factor in the presence in LLD in Golfo Dulce.
After this discussion, we discussed the IUCN Red List- a resource that lists over 42,100 species and their endangered status. This was a great resource, but when we looked at the Bottlenose dolphin status and it was listed as “least concern”. While globally this is great news, we talked about the fact that the Golfo Dulce dolphins still need our help, especially due to the presence of LLD and habitat fragmentation. Dr. Lenin described that it may be helpful to classify the Golfo Dulce Bottlenose dolphins as their own species based on ecotype and genetic variability to classify them as a different level of endangered on the local level. This would help convince the government to pass more laws and protections over these endangered animals.
Video of the Day
Quote of the Day
“I’ve never been around this many strangers for this extended period of time and enjoyed myself as much as I have"
Reina
Reflection
Today was the most incredible day of our trip (and, to be clear, we have had no bad days). The major feeling present for me today is gratefulness. I am grateful to be here- in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica. Grateful to be a part of this EarthWatch expedition. Grateful to be surrounded by such wonderful, kind, and intelligent people. Grateful to have gotten to connect with the wildlife in such a special and intimate way. Grateful. Grateful. Grateful.