Delfines y ballenas en la costa!!

Sailing is fun! On the rugged coast line of Quepos you can enjoy cruising next to rocky cliffs carpeted with moss and trees anchored on them. Also travel through rocky isles conquered by avian life like fregates and boobys. But besides all this scenic treasure the most exciting thing would by the encounter with some of the smartest creatures of this planet, the dolphins! On the Quepos coast and through out the waters of the Manuel Antonios National Park 55 ooo hectares of marine reserve, many species of cetaceos could be found. Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis, would be the most exciting to find because it can roam on groups of up to 60 individuals. Also the Long-snouted Spinner Dolphin Stenella longirostris centroamericana could amaze you with his acrobatic jumps. Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus and Pacific Spotted Dolphin Stenella atrenuata are the other 2 most common kinds. But this is not all Rough-toothed Dolphin, Steno bredanensis, Striped (or Blue-white) Dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba and Fraser's Dolphin Lagenodelphis hosei complete the list of the 7 different types of dolphins. Theres many types of small whales around that are confused with dolphins at the distance like the Pygmy Killer Whale Feresa attenuata, Pygmy Sperm Whale Kogia brevicops, Dwarf Sperm Whale Kogia simus, and the Short-finned Pilot Whale Globicephala Macrorhynchus.

And if you visit us (www.arenasdelmar.com) on the right time, meaning from july to december, you have big chances to see many whale species that travel through here. The most common the Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, that come around to give birth to its babys. Also False Killer Whale Pseudorca crassidens, Great Sperm Whale Physeter catodon, Killer Whale (or Orca) Orcinus orca, and the giant Blue Whale Balaenoptera musculus.

So, theres lots to see!!!

By: Jose Pablo Fdez, naturalist guide.