
Surf runs in my blood
Author: Dagmar Reinhard
Brisa Hennessy was born in 1999 in Matapalo on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica.
Her Hawaiian mother and Californian father moved in the 90s to this very remote town in Osa, where Brisa grew up close to the South Pacific and the tropical jungle with all kinds of wild animals in her yard. Her father used to run a surf school in Matapalo. At just three years old, she got up for the first time on a wave.
Brisa greatly appreciates being born and raised in one of the most beautiful places in the world, with incredible waves and outstanding natural beauty. She lived in Costa Rica until she was nine years old, when she moved to Hawaii to pursue a professional surfing career. Fiji, which offers excellent surfing conditions, became her destination in the summers.
In 2017 she won Gold at the ISA Junior World Championship in Japan and Gold in the Open Category at the Peru Pan American Championship in 2018. Excited, she brought two gold medals to Costa Rica. At the age of twenty, she participated in the Championship Tour that earned her direct qualification for the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2020. She was classified as the best Central American in the debut of women's surfing.
In January 2022, Brisa Hennessy was runner-up in the Triple Crown of Surfing Hawaii. And in February of this year, she won the final of the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach, as well in Hawaii. The island has the most iconic waves on the planet.
In an interview, she said, "The sea is my love, the sea is for the animals, we need to protect everything we can. Costa Rica is doing a lot, but we need all the countries in the world to do everything they can. It is crucial because we only have one world and one ocean."
For most of the year, the wide-smiling Costa Rican and Pura Vida ambassador lives out of suitcases, participates in tournaments worldwide, and always returns to her family, who now lives in Fiji.
Congratulations, Breeze Hennessy!
About Ballena Tales
Ballena Tales is an essential free guide and digital comprehensive magazine for travelers, residents, and investors covering Costa Ballena in the Canton of Osa in the South Pacific of Costa Rica. It is a fully bilingual, bi-monthly, and full-color digital magazine.
The magazine introduces the reader to the life of the local community, with interviews of pioneers, writers, and artists, as well as extensive information on restaurants, hotels, experiences, natural attractions, and wildlife of the South Pacific of Costa Rica.

Free Digital Magazine in Costa Rica #89
Ballena Tales is an essential free digital magazine in Costa Rica, valid for travelers, residents, and investors



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Back to the Earth
In each magazine edition, writers often relate to a topic relevant to the particular timing of the publication. Unfortunately, we are all writing with heavy hearts about the loss of Dagmar in this issue. Her vibrant personality and dedication to this magazine will surely be missed.



An unforgettable Tour to Caño Island
I had the opportunity to take a Caño Island tour. Since I was a little kid, I have loved swimming in the ocean and looking out for all the sea creatures.



The Bees – a Beautiful Example
In Costa Rica, we have over 50 species of bees. From the Apis melifera (an introduced species), to many others that have co-evolved with native plants.



Path of the Tapir Biological Corridor
Birth of the environmental movement in Costa Ballena.
At the beginning of the last century, tapirs, jaguars, white-lipped peccary, red brocket deer, harpy eagles, giant anteaters, and others wandered freely through the forests in the area that today is known as the Costa Ballena and the Path of the Tapir Biological Corridor.



Stone Veneer Decorations
Deco Rock is a family business based in Costa Rica. It opened its doors in 2007 with the passion of creating luxurious stone veneer decorations that create unique spaces that give an atmosphere full of elegance.



Work in the garden pays off… twice!
Imagine that millions of people – also many in Costa Rica – pay good money to visit a gym or do other physical exercises using expensive gear while in air-conditioned rooms. But it can be so easy and liberating to work (out) in your garden or on your farm and not go somewhere else.



Hotel El Tecal and Restaurant La Colonia
Do you need a break from your stressful life? Then you should come to Costa Rica and try the “Pura Vida” lifestyle for once. Come to Uvita in the South Pacific of Costa Rica and see how easy life can be.



MYTHS ABOUT THE USE OF BOTULINUM TOXIN
Botulinum toxin type A is a protein produced by a bacterium, which has a neuromodulatory, or relaxing effect on the muscles of facial expression.



Flutterby House…Once Again
Well telling our story Flutterby House after years of being one of the favorite places for both locals and tourists after overcoming together as humanity and taking a break from this virus called CO-VID 19.
What to do, Where to eat and Where to stay…
South Pacific Costa Rica Beaches,
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