The Scarlet Macaws are back!

The Scarlet Macaws in Costa Rica

The reason why I am so excited about them being back is that they have not been around the Ojochal-Uvita area for around 20 years according to some local sources.  This beautiful Scarlet Macaws or Lapas Rojas as they are called in this country, showed up last December (2010) and extended their visit trough March (2011); suddenly, one day they were gone, no more squawks while flying over the house; we really thought they were gone for good, but, just a week ago, what a great surprise “they are back”.   They really are my spirit lifter.

It is fair to say that one of the most beautiful and majestic birds in Costa Rica is the Scarlet Macaw.

Their large size and bright colors make it a favorite even among the most casual birder.  You can hear the Scarlet Macaws before your eyes can catch the sight of them.  They have a coarse, raucous squawk that carry great distance.

Scarlet Macaws prefer undisturbed rainforest.

They eat fruits, nuts, one of their favorites is the almond found on the trees of the Costa Rican Beaches, flowers and nectar are very appealing to them, what they really love is the tropical fruits, they often eat unripe fruit and nuts that other animals avoid.  These macaws also eat clay from riverbanks.  No one is sure why these parrots do this, but the clay seems to be important to them.  One hypothesis is that the clay helps the parrots to digest poisonous chemicals found in the unripe fruit they eat.  They use their powerful beaks to get the soft inter part of the seeds; they also use their beak as a defense weapon against predators.

Scarlet Macaws live in moist and wet tropical lowland forest of the pacific slope where they can find large mature trees that provide nesting cavities.

Scarlet Macaws mate for life and may live up to 60 years.  Their eyes can tell you their chronologically stage in life; when they are young they have large black pupils that seem to fill their eyes, and when they get older their pupils are smaller and their iris turns light yellow.

A pair of Scarlet Macaws raises one or two young each season in a tree cavity nest.

The young birds often stay with their parents for up to two years.  The adult parrots will not have more babies until the young leave the nest.  As a result, the number of Macaws increases very slowly.

In the past, the National Parks were the most popular places to see the Scarlet Macaws.  Carara, Manuel Antonio and Corcovado National Park in the Osa Peninsula, were among the most popular for Macaw watch. 

They were also seen in the regular basis over the Río Tárcoles and around Drake Bay.

Somehow, despite the deforestation that has affected the macaws for the last 20 years they seem to be back.  They are showing up more often and in greater numbers in the Village of Ojochal.  Sometimes they can be seen flying over the tall trees surrounding the vacation homes and also by the beaches from Ojochal to Dominical, congregating in substantial numbers around the Uvita area, where they showed up last December for the very first time in almost 20 years, according to some locals.

Many Scarlet Macaws have been taken from the wild to be sold as pets in the black market and shipped out of Costa Rica.

Because this country does not allow keeping the Scarlet Macaws in captivity, there is no chance that you can see a Scarlet Macaw for sale in a pet store in Costa Rica, remember, they are not considered pets in this country.

Personally, being a former owner of a Blue and Gold Macaw while living in the U.S., every time I see the Scarlet Macaws flying over my back yard, I cannot help to feel like they are my pets, my friends and they come and visit and always bring a message of love and wisdom from Mother Nature. 

I may not be able to touch them or teach them to talk, but I admire and enjoy them the same.

Come to Costa Rica and experience the bliss of being in the presence of such majestic and mystical bird: 

The Costa Rican Scarlet Macaw.

Top 4 species of Dolphins living in Costa Rica

Last Jun 19, on the post labeled “Costa Rica one of the Top favorite spots for Humpback Whales”; I miss the opportunity of giving enough attention to one of my favorite friends of all times “Flipper”.

I bet you remember, grew up, or heard your parents talking about this amazing Dolphin.

Flipper belongs to one of the species that live in Costa Rica, the Bottlenose Dolphin

There are Four Species of Dolphins living in the waters off the southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica:

Bottlenose (Flipper)

Common Dolphin

Spinner

Spotted

Quite honestly, not too long ago I tended to believe that all dolphins were made equal; from my point of view, a dolphin was a dolphin, and that was all.  Then, when we decided to live in a power yacht in San Diego and go fishing as often as we could, I started to realize that if you look closely, you could see many differences among them.  Now, here in Costa Rica I am delighted to see that there are four species living in these waters full time.

Bottlenose Dolphins:

One of Costa Rica’s most frequently sighted dolphins is the playful bottlenose (Tursiops truncates); most bottlenose dolphins living in Costa Rican waters are on the smaller side, weighing less than 1,000 pounds.  Males are typically longer and heavier as adults, but females grow more quickly within the first 10 years.

The upper bodies of bottlenose dolphins are very flexible because five of their seven neck vertebrae are not fused together.  

Their outfit is designed to serve as camouflage against predators, and that is the reason why the colors range from light gray to dark gray on their backs and pale pink or light gray on the belly. 

They often hunt in groups and use echolocation to find as well as to herd their prey; it is quite common to see them near fishing boats.  They seem to love to escort ships, often pacing themselves next to the bow.

These highly intelligent and social mammals use distinctive whistles and clicks to communicate with other dolphins in their group.

Bottlenose dolphins live in open societies, and that means their social choices within their group can change daily.

Dolphins are fast swimmers and can reach speeds of 19 miles per hour.

The specie is found worldwide in temperate and tropical waters, they are not considered endangered species; however, in some areas they seem to be close to total depletion.

In Costa Rica, dolphins are typically spotted year-round along both coasts.

Common Dolphin:

This type of dolphin is the one we find performing in Sea World, San Diego
This dolphin is found more often in the open ocean, but sometimes swims in shallow waters.
This common dolphin lives in both tropical and temperate waters.

In Costa Rica, it is found on the Pacific side, especially the coasts of Guanacaste, the Osa Peninsula, and Golfo Dulce. 
The common dolphin has an elongate body with a black or blackish brown V-shaped patch on the back and white underside.  The snout is black with white spots, and there are several dark lines on the face and extending from the lower jaw to the flippers.  There are long white areas along the sides of the body as well.  The dorsal fin is triangular and dark, the flippers sharp and pointed, and the flukes gray or black with a center notch.

This dolphin is not only common, but also is the most gregarious of dolphins; it is frequently found in herds with hundreds of individuals, and in the Black Sea can be found in masses of 300,000 because there is a concentration of fish high enough to support so many dolphins.

This dolphin can dive 900 feet deep and stay underwater for up to 8 minutes; it is a fast swimmer on the surface of the water, reaching speeds of 28 miles per hour.

You can see these dolphins swimming alongside small boats or riding the waves before the bow.

Common Dolphins also use echolocation and many vocalizations to communicate with each other.

This kind of dolphin can be considered affectionate, because they often help sick common dolphins to stay afloat to breathe.

The common dolphin eats a variety of fish, such as sardines, anchovies, and herrings, as well as squid and octopus.  It eats over 80 lb of food every day. 
This dolphin reaches lengths of 8 ft. and weighs 220-290 lb; the male is slightly larger.  Fishermen often look for them feeding to locate tuna and other pelagic species.  It’s interesting to notice the fishermen are looking for the dolphins and the dolphins are looking for fishermen with the same goal in mind.  Finding the fish.

 

Spinner Dolphin:

The spinner dolphin, (Stenella longirostris), is found all over the world.

Costa Rican spinner dolphins are found in large schools in coastal waters off the west coast of Central America.

The Eastern spinner also inhabits the waters off the west coast of Central America, but farther offshore in deeper waters than the Costa Rican spinner.  The Eastern spinner is also found in deep waters off the coast of Mexico.  This subspecies also travels in very large schools of thousands.

The spinner dolphin, has a long snout, and measures about 6.5 ft. in length and weighs about 200 lb.  They have small, pointed flippers and a curved dorsal fin at the center of the body.  Spinner dolphins are dark gray on the dorsal side with a lighter gray area that runs from the eyes to the tail.  The ventral side is white.

 

The Costa Rican spinner, (S. longirostris centroamericana) is one of the four subspecies of spinner dolphins; the other three are
1.  Gray's spinner, (S. longirostris longirostris)
2.  Eastern white-belly spinner, (S. longirostris orientalis)
3.  Dwarf spinner dolphin, (S. longirostris roseiventris)

Spinner dolphins are a very gregarious species frequently traveling together in schools and with other species, such as the spotted dolphin and humpback whales.  In the eastern tropical Pacific, spinner dolphins swim with Yellowfin tuna, which has resulted in great numbers of spinner dolphins caught as by catch.

The characteristic spinning of this species seems to be part of their communication especially when the members of the school are scattered.  Another theory is that the spinning may be related to the removal of parasites or of remoras, a fish species that a type of fish with a modifiedused to attach itself by suction to marine life for the removal of parasites.

In either case, once you see a dolphin spinning, that pictures will always be in your mind.  They look like they are having the time of their lives.  These guys really know how to party.

Spotted Dolphin:

In Costa Rica, this dolphin can be found in the waters along the Pacific coast, and is especially common in Golfo Dulce.

This sleek, long dolphin has a distinct coloration.  Its back is covered in a dark gray patch of skin or "saddle' that spreads from its front to past the dorsal fin.  Small white spots cover the dark area, and dark spots speckle the creamy white belly.  It also has a dark patch over the eyes and several other distinct dark lines on the face and body.  The dorsal fin is curved and the flukes and flippers are small and pointed.  The size of the spotted dolphin can vary, but individuals in coastal populations tend to be larger.

These dolphins can gather in groups of 1,000 or more individuals, especially in offshore populations, but groups of a few hundred are more common to find.  Coastal populations tend to be smaller, numbering 50 or fewer individuals.  Spotted dolphin pods include both sexes and all ages, and sometimes they blend schools with other dolphin species as well, such as the spinner dolphin.  These agile dolphins can swim up to 18 miles per hour and may speed next to boats, performing acrobatic leaps.  Unfortunately, thousands are killed every year in nets of men fishing for yellow fin tuna.  Because the spotted dolphin's diet is similar to this tuna, the dolphins are often with them, and sometimes anglers purposefully follow the dolphins to the get to the school of tuna and subsequently pull them in with the catch.
Spotted dolphins prey on squid and at least 18 species of fish. 
Adults reach lengths of around 8 ft., and weigh between 200 and 360 lb.; males are larger than females, but females have a larger snout.

After reading and seeing how different dolphins can be depending on their species, I bet you would like to see them in person, and why not to come to Costa Rica and take one of the tours offered by this experienced tour operator:  Bahia Aventuras, located in the beautiful Uvita beach.  Visit their web site for more information:  
www.bahiaaventuras.com/about/team-bahia-aventuras

Now you will be able to tell what kind of dolphin you are looking at, and even though not all of them are Flipper, all of them will plant in your heart the spark of Joy and Beauty that simple things bring to our lives every day, and more often than not, we manage to overlook.

Let the dolphins bring your happy childhood memories into play.

Surfing is a great way to get and stay in shape.

Sunny, Cloudy or Rainy; does not matter, it is time for surfing.

The rainy season technically started in May. In general, during the months of May, June, July and August, temperatures are still hot and the heavy rains have yet to fall. Common weather at this time is sunny skies with late afternoon or early morning rain showers. That gives you plenty of time during the day to practice surfing. According to some sources, the best season for surfing the South Pacific Region is from April to November.

Costa Rica is sometimes called "the Hawaii of Latin-American surfing" because there are thousands point and beach brakes, lefts and rights, reefs and river mouths, warm water and waves year round and this is what awaits for you in Costa Rica, especially on the South Pacific Region.The waves in some of the beaches like Tamarindo, Hermosa, Dominical and Pavones can be quite big; however, not as huge as the mystical ones in Waimea Bay Hawaii.

Nevertheless, the waves in Pavones can give you 2 or 3-minute ride, quite fun.  Monster waves you don't see much of. What you do see is good-size kilometer breaks that are consistent year-round.

Another big reason is the Costa Rican culture supports surfers, with surf shops, board rentals, bars, restaurants, hotels... there definitely is a strong vibe down here for surfing. It feels like home.

This site has great surf forecast information.

www.surfermag.com/surf-reports-and-forecasts/forecasts/?RegionID=23rt=Costa%20Rica 

If you are thinking that surfing is something you can get excited about and you feel like can enjoy some outdoors workout, consider the possibility of taking a class. There is a perfect beach that can be use for beginners and intermediate students, it is playa Chaman in Uvita; if you look at the map above it is located less than 10 miles south of Dominical.

Check out this website, http://www.bodhisurfschool.com/history-of-uvita-costa-rica  this guys are awesome organizing classes. They will help you to make your surf-dream come true.

Now, let’s go over some simple thing that you might want to be aware before you take up on surfing.

Surf Board Basics

Surfboards are made to float on the water.

They have a natural center of gravity. If you were to lay any surfboard in a swimming pool, it would come to rest the same way every time.

This is what your teacher will want you do when you lay on a surfboard, in other words the board suppose to remain in the same relation to the water, as it was without your weight on it, just a bit lower in the water.  
Find your Balance Point
A good tip is to find this balance point and lay on your board then make, a mark right at your chin. You can use a little bit of wax or a magic marker. This will be your reference point that will enable you to put your chin on the same spot every time so the board will react to your weight the same way every time.  
Pearling
If the board's nose digs into the water, you must move the location of "your chin" back. To adjust, just slide back an inch from the mark and make a mental note.
Corking
Too much weight in the back and the board will cork the board. This is a common mistake amongst beginners. You cannot catch a wave if you are corking your board. Move up an inch at a time until the board lies in the water naturally. This will provide you with the maximum hull speed and minimum drag from the water displacement that you are causing with your weight.
Paddle with the Crawl Stroke

Paddling with both arms simultaneously will cause the board to speed up and slow down in the water and you will not be able to maintain constant hull speed through the water. Always paddle with the crawl stroke...one arm and then the other alternatively.
This will provide you with a constant speed so you can catch that wave.

Sitting On the Board

Ok, so now we know how to lie on the board and paddle the board. Now it is time to learn how to sit on the board. The first time try this you may be quite wobbly.
The key to succeed is to be calm, try to be still. The less movement you make, the easier you will be able to seat and the less falling on your face.
All the other skills of surfing will improve as you learn to be "calm" while surfing.
Standing on your Surfboard
Now it is time to learn how to stand up. This is something you have been doing all your life.

• Lie on your chest, your head up, looking ahead.
• Put your hands on the board beside your shoulders palms down as if you were going to do a push up.
• Push your upper body up while at the same time you sweep your feet under you, laying them on the stringer, the line down the middle of the board, so your weight is centered along the stringer.
• When you come up, remember to keep low.
• If you stand erect you will fall.
• Don’t be afraid to look like a sumo wrestler.
• Press your feet shoulder width apart and "grip the board in your feet.
• Have your hands a bit higher than your waist and just in view of your vision.
• Always look up! If you look at your feet, you will fall down. I promise!  

Practice makes Perfect

So, practice, practice, practice. Let your best friends watch you and have them comment on your performance.

Practice jumping up without making a sound on the floor.

Calm and controlled is the smoothest way to approach this so practice doing it quietly. If you have a surfboard, lay it on a large bed or in the sand and do this exercise. This is a way for you to judge your ability to be controlled.  

Check www.crsurf.com
for information that you might be looking for. All about surfing.

10 Top Safety Issues.

1. Never have your board between yourself and the coming waves!
2. To avoid collision, keep a safe distance, let’s say the length of you, your leash and board combined.
3. Beginners should always wear a leash or leg rope tied to their surfboard.
4. Beginners should always surf with a buddy for safety, and it is cool to share your surf experiences with.
5. Never push your board through the water fin first. The fin or fins were made to keep the board pointing nose first. Pushing the board fins first can be quite dangerous because the board wants to go the other direction.
6. Beginner surfers should consider wearing a vest, rash guard, or tee shirt to avoid the rubbed rash they will get on their stomach and chest.
7. When you fall off your board, cover the back of your head with your hands, with your wrists over your ears and your elbows together.
8. Stay under water for a moment longer than necessary. There are companies that make helmets and this is another alternative.
9. When you come up, try to be facing the oncoming waves and look for your board's location immediately.
10. Loose boards in the ocean are very dangerous objects for swimmers.

If you follow those simple rules, you can have a blast, be safe and get in shape; all at the same time.

Isn’t that what is all about?

Costa Rica, South Pacific Region is waiting for you to share its waves and show you a great time.