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Oct
17
Rare Dwarf Sperm Whale Spotted off Punta Mona
October 17, 2010 | Tags: Environment | 7 Comments
Biologist José David Palacios made the discovery in 2006 while on a project monitoring cetaceans in coastal waters off the Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge in 2006. But the discovery has only now come to light with a recent publication in the journal Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals.
The discovery is significant because this species has never before been sighted in Costa Rica and is rarely sighted at sea. With this discovery there are now 29 species of cetaceans reported in Costa Rica.
The Dwarf Sperm Whale is the smallest species commonly known as a whale. It grows up to 2.7 meters (9 ft) in length and 250 kilograms (551 lb) in weight— making it smaller than the bigger dolphins. The species makes slow, deliberate movements with little splash or blow and usually lies motionless when at the sea’s surface. Consequently it can be observed only in very calm seas.
More:
La Nacion: Costa Rica reporta presencia de un cachalote enano en el Caribe
Wikipedia: Dwarf Sperm Whale (Kogia sima)
Oct
11
Route 32 Closures Today through Wednesday
October 11, 2010 | Tags: Transport | Comments Off
Ruta 32, the main San José-Limón route, will be closed today, Tuesday and Wednesday from 6 a.m. to noon. The Consejo Nacional de Vialidad has contracted with a team of geologists and engineers to create a three-dimensional image of the highway where it passes through Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo.
The goal is to find a definitive solution to the landslides that have plagued the stretch.
The firm Stereocarto is involved as well as specialists from a number of government agencies. Officials suggest that those who must travel to the Caribbean use the alternate
route through Turrialba.
Oct
7
Dolphin Species Gather in Manzanillo to Communicate
October 7, 2010 | Tags: Environment | Comments Off
Bottlenose dolphin (rear) and Guyana dolphin (front)
A researcher from the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan, Dr Laura May-Collado, has published a paper in the journal Ethology about what could be two different species of dolphins attempting to find a common language to communicate.
The researcher made the discovery studying dolphins swimming in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge where both larger Bottlenose dolphins and smaller Guyana dolphins come together.
Both species make unique sounds, but when they gather, they change the way they communicate, and begin using an intermediate language. That raises the possibility the two species are communicating in some way.
“I wouldn’t be surprised that they can modify their signals to mimic, and even possibly communicate with other species” says May-Collado.
It is not yet clear exactly what is taking place between the two dolphin species, but it is the first evidence that the animals modify their communications in the presence of other species, not just other dolphins of their own kind.
More: BBC News: Dolphin species attempt ‘common language’
Aug
10
Mountain Bike Event Coming to Puerto Viejo October 17
August 10, 2010 | Tags: Community Calendar, Sports | Comments Off
| October 17, 2010 |
PromoBike and Maxi’s Restaurant will again be sponsoring a mountain biking event in Puerto Viejo on the 17th of October.
The event will include a 74km long route and a 38km short route for riders. There will be lots of hydration stations as well as a party planned afterward.
Last years event included a route which went through the Talamanca Mountains and included a total elevation gain of 792m. While this year’s route has not yet been published, riders can expect again to be challenged!
More information is available on the event web page.
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