WHY BLUE LIFE COSTA RICA
We are the first ocean education and volunteer center in the province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica, focusing on educational programs for children and monitoring marine mammals and the underwater world in Santa Elena Bay. This site is a destination for migrating humpback whales, which arrive between July and March to mate, give birth and raise their young before their oceanic journey back to Antarctica (Southern population) and California (Central American population). Our goal is their monitoring, protection and rescue in case of getting stuck on the coasts or in fishing nets. This task is carried out by our Marine Mammals Rescue Team – Santa Elena Bay. We start from 1.8.2023.
WHY BLUE LIFE COSTA RICA
We create first oceanic education and volunteer centre in the province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica. Main objectives are to realise educational programs for children and to do monitoring of the underwater world in Santa Elena Bay. This site is a key destination for migrating humpback whales, which arrive between July and March to mate, give birth and raise their young before their oceanic journey back to Antarctica (Southern population) and California (Central American population). Another of our goals is monitoring of fish, like sharks and rays, which are at risk of illegal fishing.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE OCEAN MONITORING
We will monitor whales and dolphins in cooperation with marine biologist Frank Garita, who has been studying marine mammals for more than 20 years. We become his field team, operating on the field monitoring ship The Spartan and under the sea surface with the help of divers. The monitoring of whales and dolphins will serve international marine biological research, for their protection and also for educational purposes. Our priority is to save Santa Elena Bay from the threat of the construction of a cargo port, which would endanger the life and reproduction of long-finned humpback whales in this area and beyond.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE OCEAN MONITORING
OCEANIC, EDUCATIONAL CENTER – BLUE LIFE
The oceanic Blue Life educational center serves the education of children, youth and the general public, it is the base for volunteer programs and the Marine Mammals Rescue Team. The center can also be visited as part of ecotourism programs with the option of accommodation and participation in the Eye of the Ocean monitoring program.
VOLUNTEER CENTER UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The Blue Life Ocean Centre is built from shipping containers and will also serve as a base for the Eye of the Ocean monitoring program.
Centre will be open to volunteers, students, marine biologists and ecotourists with an interest in conservation of underwater world with focus on marine mammals and sharks.
The grand opening will be in February 2023.
MARINE MAMMALS RESCUE TEAM-SANTA ELENA BAY (MMRT-SEB)
The MMRT-SEB is created to monitor, protect and, if necessary, rescue marine mammals in the IMMA San Juan del Sur (Important Marine Mammals Area) protection and reproduction zone. Our team operates in the area of Salinas Bay, Santa Elena, and Papagayo Bay. We are currently negotiating an active collaboration with the State Veterinary Office SENASA, the ACG Guanacaste National Park, the INCOPESCA Fisheries Office and the Coast Guard.
The monthly fees associated with the operation of the monitoring ship The Spartan amount to CZK 56,000. 8 trips are planned per month, each of which costs 7,000 CZK.
Support us and get an Ocean Guardian certificate.
