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Costa Rica Marine Life
Costa Rica does not only offer virgin rainforest, fascinating
volcanoes and pristine beaches but also an overwhelming world of
undersea wildlife.
Marine Animals
The richness in species is awakening the interest of many marine
scientists, especially in the areas close to the Islas Murcielago
(Bat Islands). This has influenced the recent discovery of coral
reefs in this area and has led to the creation of a biological
station which is dedicated to the marine ecosystem investigation,
located on the island of San Jose, the largest on the archipelago
Murcielago.
The main reason that there is such a biological richness in the
marine ecosystems of this part of Costa Rica is due to a phenomenon
called Surgencia, which cools the ocean water in the dry season to
temperatures reaching 16° C.
Within this richness of marine habitat is found a huge fish
resource, which is one of the most abundant in the country. There is
also a large population of sea turtles and many of the coral species
found in the Pacific region of Costa Rica.
Dolphins
When the word dolphin is mentioned, one of the first things people
think of is "Flipper". This portrayal of dolphins is inaccurate
because it gives dolphins too many human characteristics. In
captivity, dolphins can be trained to understand and interpret some
words and actions, but they cannot understand us word for word like
in the movie.
Even though dolphins may not understand us completely, they might
have their own languages. In fact, many people believe that dolphins
communicate with vocal languages. With these communication skills
comes a complex social structure, and dolphins have been observed to
work together in a variety of situations.
National Parks in Costa Rica which protect marine areas with
dolphins and whales are Ballena National Marine Park, Gandoca
Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, and Santa Rosa National Park.
Costa Rica's Manatees
A truly cute-looking Costa Rican mammal is the manatee, which looks
like a walrus except that it doesn't have any tusks. This chubby
swimmer once inhabited several waterways in Costa Rica and in many
areas of the American continent. However, it was hunted almost to
extinction because of its tender meat and its hide. Today, it can
only be found near the South of the United States and in a few
places of Central America.
Recently claimed to be extinct in Costa Rica, a population of
manatees has been located in the rivers and lagoons close to the
world famous green turtle nesting beach at Tortuguero National Park.
Manatees are also being protected at the Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife
Refuge. The rediscovery of a manatee population is very significant,
because it shows the importance of this particular location as a
preferred habitat.
Fast motor boats full of tourists heading to the beaches of Tortuguero (to see the turtles) race through the lagoons, rivers and
canals from Moin to Tortuguero and sometimes collide with slow
moving manatees. More importantly, they scare manatees away and
chase them to the backwaters, where motorized boats do not go.
Pesticides used on banana plantations kill fish and may be causing
aquatic changes, especially in these shallow backwater areas.
Manatees are another potential ecotourism attraction that can
produce much needed income and jobs for the community. Because
manatees rely on the lagoons and canals behind the beach, this
important habitat must be protected from continued development of
banana plantations and road construction.
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Analysis of
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Areas in the
US, Northeastern Boston Area,
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