A place to Love Dolphins
Is it a boat? Is it a plane? Is it Superman doing Delta-wing tricks? No. It's Spirit, the flying inflatable boat belonging to Delfín Amor Eco Lodge near Drake Bay, on the southern Pacific coast. The craft is primarily used by the marine-environment protection foundation Vida Marina, which operates out of the lodge. The surreal boatbird with an identity crisis aims to play a key role in the foundation's ability to locate and document the many pods of whales and dolphins that frequent the rich waters around Drake Bay and nearby Caño Island, and to identify illegal fishing activity.
Drake Bay
The lodge was a private hideaway before it was bought by California transplant Sierra Goodman in 1999. The Vida Marina Foundation's main concerns are to document the many marine mammals in the area with a view toward creating an official marine sanctuary. Rather like a transparent underwater mountain, a core of warmer shallow waters well up over colder low-oxygen layers, providing a year-round source of food and oven temperatures, which in turn sustains more than 25 species of marine mammals and turtles.
The lodge
Heading for Drake Bay always gives a feeling of adventure, especially if you are arriving over land and sea, via the Sierpe-based boat taxis and then the 50-minute skim through Costa Rica's largest stands of mangroves, passing over the (sometimes teeth-clenching) wave breaking into the ocean and across to the verdant, indented bay.
It really is the best way to arrive, although is difficult to say when daily national plane cervices mean more time can be spent in this magical area. Delfín Amor Eco Lodge lies south of the bay village of Agujitas, within easy walking distance.
The Dolphins
Being one of only concerns along the coast with boats and scientists able to undertake dolphin and whale research and tours, Delfín Amor's emphasis is on getting onto the water as often as possible. Each tour is accompanied by a marine biologist guide as well as a data collector to monitor the location, number and behavior of each pod found.
The comfortable, spacious boats have single seating down each side, ensuring uninterrupted sightings, driven by twin Yamaha four-stroke engines for efficiency and reduced noise. Even without tourists, the boats go out constantly, especially if tipped off about illegal long-line fishing.
Goodman and his crew have documented several distressing examples of lines and rope wrapped around humpbacks and turtles, they always report details to the Costa Rican Fisheries Institute (INCOPESCA)despite a frustrating lack of response or support.
Trips are described as typically running from 8 a.m. to between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., depending on how far out the boat goes and on people's interest. There was no rushed feeling at all of being rushed as we patiently followed the pods, entranced at the sheer numbers and their playful water games. A refreshing lunch of hearty sandwiches, fruit slices and juice was a tasty interruption.
