Responsible Marine Tourism | Bahia Aventuras

Whale Seasons in Costa Rica

July 31, 2017 by bahiaaventuras Leave a Comment

In Costa Rica there are two seasons to spot the humpback whales. They migrate from their feeding areas in the North and South Americas to our warm tropical waters for mating. These whales are characterized as being very sociable, but usually travel alone or with their offspring. They are rarely found in groups, which are mostly formed by males, to compete for the females. One of the strategies the whales use during their breeding season is to stay in warm shallow waters, such as bays, because their geographic features provide better protection for their young, known as a calves.

In Costa Rica we have the great Coronado Bay located in the South Pacific. This bay includes the waters of the Marino Ballena National Park, Drake Bay and Cano Island. The temperature and depth of the water around Cano Island provide some of the best conditions for reproduction and protection of the calves in their first weeks of life. This is also the area where the majority of migrating whales give birth to their young, giving it an important biological value. The conditions of the Coronado Bay area favor ecotourism, making it the largest in the tourism industry for the sighting of cetaceans in Costa Rica, especially for humpback whales. Three species of dolphins are seen regularly, along with the occasional visit from Bryde’s whales, pilot whales and false killer whales.

The migration of the humpbacks whales to Costa Rica occur at two different times: [Read more…]

Summer Students Groups 2013

July 22, 2013 by bahiaaventuras Leave a Comment

During the months of June, July & August of 2013 Bahia Aventuras & Geoporter are working with students to construct trash containers made from plastic bottles used during the tours. The student groups meet every Friday, after a Whale Watching Tour at the headquarters of Bahia Aventuras to work with Cindy Thiele , Luz Mirian Badilla & Amy Work (active community collaborators & Geoporter members) and our guides Wayner and Reimer. During the afternoon they create 3-4 trash containers that are composed of 458 bottles each. During this process the students have the opportunity to learn how to transform and resume trash and recyclable in order to minimize the pollution of our oceans and environment.

The goal is to deliver and place these trash containers for classrooms in the schools, at the newly constructed covered bus stops andat the entrance to Mariono Ballena National Park in our community.

Other projects students groups are working on are beach clean ups and painting and repairing the rangers stations and the facilities at the Marino Ballena National Park.

Costa Rica’s Oceans

June 4, 2010 by bahiaaventuras Leave a Comment

Costa Rica is a small country that represents only .03% of total world land mass yet contains 5% of the worlds biodiversity. It is a country that has more than 25% of it’s national territory under some form of protection yet the waters that border the country have been largely neglected with less than one percent being regulated under some form of protective category.

The marine ecosystems of the Osa Peninsula have been effected by this lack of protection and are critically threatened by a number of factors; overfishing, unplanned coastal development, population increase, coastal and marine pollution, severe lack of conservation awareness, viable economic activities, etc.

However, over the last two years the conversation about marine conservation has increased and government and non-government organizations are now talking in the same language. This conversation is also happening in coastal communities that depend on the ocean for their livelihoods. New programs and small businesses focused on sustainable marine tourism, which in the past were scarce, are now becoming the norm.

Donations from aid agencies to help Costa Rica protect its Pacific waters have been made and Costa Rica Universities are working with government organizations on monitoring studies and marine ecosystem analysis. Costa Rica pioneered the modern eco-tourism sector by taking smart steps in land conservation and now they have the opportunity to do the same with their oceans. Once Costa Rica combines the land-sea conservation model they could very well become the world leader in conservation.

Responsible Marine Tourism Practices

December 17, 2009 by bahiaaventuras Leave a Comment

Bahia Aventuras, the KETO Foundation, and the Association of Marine Tour Operators of the Marino Ballena National Park, in Uvita – Bahia Ballena have been working together over the last few months in the development of Responsible Marine Tourism Practices. Through many meetings, discussions, and trainings, drafts of the standards were developed, reviewed, and revised in a consensus-building process. Development of the standards for Planning of Boat Tours, Boat Maintenance, Training of Boat Captains and Guides, Community Responsibility, Navigation, Whale watching, Snorkeling and Scuba Diving, is only the beginning. Next, is the implementation phase and then field-testing. Many local companies are still in the process of adopting the standards and will work together with the KETO Foundaton and the Association of Marine Tour Operators of the Marino Ballena National Park to evaluate their overall effectiveness, attainability, and affordability.

Leading the way in accomplishing the standards is Team Bahia Aventuras. Establishing a plan for each category, Bahia Aventuras will be implementing the rigorous standards in 2010 to achieve the most Responsible Operation of Marine Tourism possible, and continue providing visitors the best and most sustainable boat and nature tours in Uvita – Bahia Ballena, Osa, Costa Rica.