Golfo Dulce and the Dolphins

Golfo Dulce y los Delfines Golfo Dulce and the Dolphins

The Golfo Dulce is a small gulf, enclosed by land ropes. It is a tropical fjord of Costa Rica located on the southern coast of the country, in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. On the south side it borders the Osa canton and to the north with Golfito. This gulf is home for several species of dolphins.

One of its inhabitants is the spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) and the bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are oceanic species; however, the first one prefers the deep central part of the gulf because it is the best place to find its prey (flying fish and balijús).

The bottlenose dolphins can be found at any river mouth. The sediments promote the ideal conditions for the needle, snook, and snapper fish procreation. Golfo Dulce is the dolphins´ perfect place for socialization and mating because of the plentiful food.

The dolphins´ habitat, the Golfo Dulce is an inlet (estuary or deep basin surrounded by steep slopes and a threshold near its mouth) restricting the  exchange of water in its inner basin and promoting the formation of deep anoxic waters (low-level oxygen). Only every two years, after the heavy rains associated with El Niño, salt water with a high content of oxygen finds its way to Golfo Dulce.

There are only three tropical basins with similar features in the world: the Gulf of Cariaco (Venezuela), Darwin Bay (Ecuador), and Kaoe Bay (Indonesia).

The Gulf is 50 km long, between 10 and 15 km wide; its surface area is about 680 km2, and it has a maximum depth of 215 m. Golfo Dulce is a unique and complex ecosystem highly important for conservation. It has an immense biodiversity, especially an abundance of dolphins, sharks, humpback whales, and turtles.

You will be amazed with the solitude of the waters in this sanctuary where you can watch the dolphins swimming by your boat, which is a living proof of the well-being of this still unspoiled place.

By Dagmar Reinhard


CONTACT: Dagmar Reinhard – www.ballenatales.com

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