Whale Sharks Sighting at Nicuesa Lodge!

Everyday we have to keep our eyes open to find pleasant surprises in the waters of the 'Sweet Gulf' (Golfo Dulce), where Playa Nicuesa is located. During this past month, our guests and guides spotted something usually big coming from our tours in the Golfo Dulce...  Whale Sharks swimming very close to their boats!

Whale Shark
Rhincodon typus

Even though they are called whale sharks, this animal is completely unrelated to marine mammals such as whales. The reason for its name lies in the fact that it is as large as some species of whales, and also lacks teeth and instead is a filter feeder (like many whale species).  It gets to be as large as 12 meters in length, making it actually the biggest fish that exists on the planet! It takes a long while for a 50-centimeter newborn to reach the maximum size.  But the whale shark has time, as it is estimated to live some 70-100 years. 

These gentle giants are capable of diving to great depths, but they also stroll slowly on the ocean surface, mouth wide open, collecting plankton and small fish.

Some have been reported to synchronize their migrations to coincide with massive spawning of fish, which provide a good opportunity to feast on eggs and sperm. On these feeding occasions they gather in groups that may range from just a few near the coastline, to (rarely) several hundred in offshore waters.

Since they feed only on microscopic, or very small creatures, they do not represent any danger to humans. Also, the fact that they almost don't have any natural predators, makes them a very mellow animal, attractive to people that while diving or snorkeling might want to take a close look or even get a ride holding from the dorsal fin. Although, this common practice is highly discouraged by shark specialists and conservationists.

In April of 2012 this amazing  synchronized migratory gathering was observed right here in the Golfo Dulce!  Right before the my very startled eyes a group of 8-10 whale sharks calmly wandered near the coast by the town of Cañaza.

Words cannot really express the feeling of such an experience, which is for many, only once in a lifetime. WHAT A HUMBLING AND AWESOME EXPERIENCE!!

Tuna Farms: No longer a threat for our Golfo Dulce paradise!

Since the past November 7^th 2011, tuna farms are only a memory on Golfo Dulce’s pristine waters.

A tuna farm is a floating cage in the open ocean, were tuna is born and feed until they reach the commercial size needed to be exported to Japan. The wasted produced by such a large quantity of tuna generate over nutrification of the water and red tides,  reduces dissolved oxygen amounts, causes fish kills and damage to other resources of the gulf.

Granjas Atuneras de Golfito, the company responsible for the tuna farm project in Punta Blanco (right in the entrance of Golfo Dulce), followed a 7 year operation to bring industrial aquaculture to the Southern Pacific Coast. During this time, the Costa Rica coalition against tuna farms fought back this project. PRETOMA, an environmental organization, started a campaign against it. The next video was part of the “No Tuna Farms” PRETOMA promotion, created by Andy Bystrom, a PRETOMA consultant.

PRETOMA is one of the groups that Playa Nicuesa has been supporting for over 3 years. Thanks to our guest’s donations we are able to raise money in order to contribute to causes like this.

Playa Nicuesa also joined the coalition efforts to fight the Tuna Farms. In May 2009, Nicuesa’s owner Michael and the Sustainability Coordinator at that time Jodi, went down to Pavones were the Costa Rica’s first national rally to halt tuna farming took place. From this event 704 citizens signed a letter delivered by PRETOMA to the President Oscar Arias.

After all the protest and opposition to the farm, Costa Rica's Environmental Secretariat (SETENA) stated it would no longer consider Granjas Atuneras de Golfito SA's  petition to construct a yellow fin tuna aquaculture project, or tuna farm, at the mouth of the Golfo Dulce.  SETENA's decision permanently closes the case on Granjas Atuneras, meaning that finally justice is done.

The gulf now is protected against tuna farm pollution, preserving the rich waters of Golfo Dulce. We can be certain that community efforts on keeping the health of this paradise will never stop, and the Nicuesa family is going to support these efforts every time! 

Welcome humpback whales!

Welcome humpback whales(Megaptera Novaeanli) in the Golfo Dulce!!

This lovely 17 meter species that weighs in at around 48 tons is now visiting the ocean in front of Playa Nicuesa and more will soon follow. On a beautiful morning at Nicuesa we noticed this mother and baby hanging out in front of the dock.

Some grabbed kayaks and others got in boats to go see … but there was really no rush because they stayed there feeding for about four hours!

This cosmopolitan species ranges from polar to tropical seas often alone or in groups of up to three. This is the most flexible of all whales – its range of motion is incredible!
Once they reach 12 meters they are ready to reproduce. The gestation period lasts 12 months and then the baby stays with the mother for many years afterwards.

Our guests say you feel like you’re family at Nicuesa

The most frequent comment that guests leave on the on the check out sheet is that you feel like your family at Nicuesa. The laid back atmosphere combined with highly attentive service makes Nicuesa a special place.

The intermingling of guests and staff – be it sitting down for meals with locals, fishing off the pier with Tomas (a non-english speaker that communicates just fine with fellow fishermen), or traipsing through the jungle in search of creepy crawlies with Jonathan – gives visitors a more authentic impression of Costa Rica and its world renowned friendly citizens.
Activities planned throughout the year offer an experience of Costa Rican traditions and local culture.

Whether guests are learning the Boruca secrets of how to dye yarn naturally, being served typical Costa Rican food on our “Cultural Night”, making tamales for Christmas or learning to dance to traditional music

you can see how one may feel like a Costa Rica home is being opened up to them.
Unplanned happenings throughout the day also make guests feel more like family than visitors.

For example experimenting with achiote (a natural red dye) on Jonathan’s infamous Edible Landscaping Tour or learning tropical dances like salsa and meringue after dinner. Guests always leave with a smile and stay in touch with staff by sending pictures, packages or even returning several times.

How is Nicuesa Carbon Neutral?

Costa Rica has the goal to be carbon neutral by 2021.
Playa Nicuesa began the process to become carbon neutral in 2008, which is when we enrolled in the ENCC (National Strategy for Climate Change) to support the country’s goals. The hotel has been doing in-house analyses and purchasing carbon credits to offset our emissions since that time. The compensation of emissions was achieved through donations to FONAFIFO (the National Foundation for Forestry Financing). This organization applied the funds directly to reforestation programs on the Osa Peninsula.

In 2010, Nicuesa progressed significantly towards becoming a Carbon Neutral business. We completed step 2, an inventory and report of all greenhouse gases emitted, with the assistance of an external consulting company. A company may choose which elements of three different scopes to include in their assessment. Only scopes 1 and 3 apply to Nicuesa and we chose to include the following elements: electricity use, fuel use, employee commuting, vehicle travel, air travel for employees, guest activity trips, paper use, printing, shipping and appliance/equipment purchase. Nicuesa chose not to include emissions from international guest travel in hopes that the tools provided on our website will serve as encouragement for guests to join us in our efforts and offset their international flights, as all flights within Costa Rica are already carbon neutral.
As part of our work with the ENCC we are now identifying ways to reduce emissions in a formal climate action plan and completing a second greenhouse gas assessment. After these are complete, we will again compensate for our c02 emissions through FONAFIFO. This year rather than buying credits that will subsequently turn into reforestation efforts, as has been done in previous years, our credits will go towards protecting forests from being cut down in the first place – a process called avoided deforestation. Avoided deforestation is achieved by paying farmers or land holders to not cut down the trees on their land, or a payment for the environmental service of preserving the carbon stored in the trees and soil in a forest. Costa Rica has been a trail blazer in payments for environmental services and now has a negative deforestation rate.
Nicuesa is already carbon neutral as it offsets any emissions it may have. However, to become certified and recognized as such it must comply with the fifth and final step in the process – to be approved by the ENCC under their brand as a Carbon Neutral Business. This can only be done after they finalize and publish the criteria.

Forest & Sea Adventures

It was a nice walk to the waterfall with Camila and Joaquin from Chile. It was a lovely and quiet morning with white faced monkeys swinging by, ameivas lizards scurrying along the ground and butterfly's fluttering around us.

The best part was planting a cedar sapling in the regenerating secondary forest that leads to the primary forest surrounding the stream flowing from the waterfall, located within the Piedras Blancas National Park. Later that same day I went with these new friends on their honeymoon to snorkel in the Golfo Dulce.

With our heads immersed in the blue-green waters, we took a lot of photos of the wonderful world of the coral reefs. There was an abundance of colorful fish like rainbow fish to entertain our eyes.

It was incredible to see these two different worlds all in one day - the lush vibrant green of the lowland tropical forest and the emerald green-blue waters filled with multi-colored fish!

Ecological Blue Flag Program

Playa Nicuesa has been recognized for its commitment to a clean beach and environmental consciousness in its community by receiving the Blue Flag. Costa Rica has expanded the Ecological Blue Flag Program, which started in in Spain, to include many categories with the purpose of verifying the implementation of activities in communities and schools that contribute to the protection of water sources, forests and coastlines.

Playa Nicuesa has been participating in the beaches category of the Blue Flag Program for over a year now. To receive the Flag the hotel must test quality of drinking water as well as ocean water, coordinate beach clean ups, ensure a responsible waste management system in the community including garbage bins along the coastline, educate the community about the importance of water and other environmentally related topics and regularly inspect the coastline to ensure there are no industrial or domestic discharges.
The motivation to participate in this program came from a few employees that began to gather garbage that washed up along the beach in their free time.

Now they have expanded that initiative and have educated the community on a wide variety of topics related to water, planned beach clean ups in our own backyard as well as in several neighboring beaches. Even guests have gotten drawn into the fold by joining in on beach clean ups and learning how garbage arrives even on pristine and protected shorelines.