By Rosemary Mac Gregor and Rashid Herrera
What happened? Uvita and Ballena beaches have been famous for the beautiful promontory that became known as Moses Passage out to the coral reefs. Moses Passage allowed visitors to walk close to a kilometer at low tide out to the tail and reefs. The Tsunami that followed the Japan earthquake washed away the sandy isthmus and also brought new material to the beaches. Obviously, there is worry as to the tourist implications of this loss. This isthmus or "whale tale" of Punta Uvita was a worldwide tourist attraction and a major landmark clearly visible from the air to travelers. Invariably, those who are Costa Rica vacation villa renters choose to go to Ballena National Park and walk out to the whale's tale.
The day after the Tsunami, a team of oceanographers inspected the area and found at high and low tides there was only water and no more sandbar isthmus. Apparently waves reached as high as 4 meters and did the most damage to those coastal areas open to a north-west swell. Some claim tides have risen and others say the ocean floor has sunk. Volcano and seismological experts believe the tides have risen.
In conjunction with the Tsunami, fish behavior in this area has changed. Additionally, material from Costa Rica's famous offshore Thermal Dome washed up on shore, indicating damage and depletion to fishing areas. One eyewitness in Guanacaste said, "the sardines are going crazy and the fish are hiding."
Costa Rica's Thermal Dome is an ultra-rich marine feeding ground and an important natural and economic resource. Normally, only very special ocean areas create conditions that sustain the early stages of the marine food chain. While marine upwellings create rich, seasonal food sources, Costa Rica's Thermal Dome is a permanent feature supplying these food sources. The Costa Rica Dome is part of an east-west thermo cline ridge associated with the equatorial circulation where surface currents flow cyclonically around it, seasonally affected as well by large-scale wind patterns. The Costa Rica Dome is unique because it is also fueled by a coastal wind jet. A seasonally predictable, strong, and shallow thermo cline makes the Costa Rica Dome a distinct biological habitat where phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass are higher than in surrounding tropical waters. The physical structure and biological productivity of the dome affects the distribution and feeding of whales and dolphins, probably through forage availability. Following the tsunami, much of this algae material was found on the Uvita and Ballena beaches.
Perhaps over time, Mother Nature will rebuild this isthmus and restore the dome to its previous capacity and those Costa Rica vacationers can once again visit the Whale's tale on foot.
The day after the Tsunami, a team of oceanographers inspected the area and found at high and low tides there was only water and no more sandbar isthmus. Apparently waves reached as high as 4 meters and did the most damage to those coastal areas open to a north-west swell. Some claim tides have risen and others say the ocean floor has sunk. Volcano and seismological experts believe the tides have risen.
In conjunction with the Tsunami, fish behavior in this area has changed. Additionally, material from Costa Rica's famous offshore Thermal Dome washed up on shore, indicating damage and depletion to fishing areas. One eyewitness in Guanacaste said, "the sardines are going crazy and the fish are hiding."
Costa Rica's Thermal Dome is an ultra-rich marine feeding ground and an important natural and economic resource. Normally, only very special ocean areas create conditions that sustain the early stages of the marine food chain. While marine upwellings create rich, seasonal food sources, Costa Rica's Thermal Dome is a permanent feature supplying these food sources. The Costa Rica Dome is part of an east-west thermo cline ridge associated with the equatorial circulation where surface currents flow cyclonically around it, seasonally affected as well by large-scale wind patterns. The Costa Rica Dome is unique because it is also fueled by a coastal wind jet. A seasonally predictable, strong, and shallow thermo cline makes the Costa Rica Dome a distinct biological habitat where phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass are higher than in surrounding tropical waters. The physical structure and biological productivity of the dome affects the distribution and feeding of whales and dolphins, probably through forage availability. Following the tsunami, much of this algae material was found on the Uvita and Ballena beaches.
Perhaps over time, Mother Nature will rebuild this isthmus and restore the dome to its previous capacity and those Costa Rica vacationers can once again visit the Whale's tale on foot.
