Blue Whale in Costa Rica
October 30th, 2012
If you are looking for a place to view an interesting variety of underwater creatures in a midst of panoramic vistas then head over to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The azure lagoons are flourishing with all sorts of species. Take a dive and swim alongside dolphins, whales, eels, nudibranchs, seahorses, sharks and the list goes on! Many kinds of cetaceans are found in the pacific coast including a fascinating false killer whale. The false killer whales or Pseudocra Crassidens are a type of oceanic dolphins that belong to the family, Delphinidae. They are considered as third largest member of the oceanic dolphins. They have a widespread population. They live in most seas and oceans of temperate and tropical conditions. They are frequently sighted on shallow waters of Meditteranean Sea, Red Sea, and Atlantic Ocean, Coastal region of Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Hawaii. The largest population is in eastern tropical Pacific with over 40,000 false killer whales.
<more> Just as the name suggests, the false killer whale is somewhat similar to Orca whale (killer whale). They are not of the same species but they bear a physical resemblance to each other and share certain traits over food preferences. The false killer whale has a jet black body with a grey neck. The body is long and slim and tends to taper toward the head and neck region. They have a set of 44 teeth. It has short and narrow flippers and a pair of tall sickle-shaped dorsal fins. The average size of a male reaches an approximate of 20 feet while a female false killer whale is 3 to 5 feet shorter. Females weigh around 1,200 kg and males weigh around 2,300 kg. False killer whales, like Orca whales, prey on other cetaceans and on fish, squids, cephalopods, sea lions, seals, walruses and marine birds as well. The breeding period of the whales go on for several months. Their reproduction rate is very low; they give births with long intervals of about 7 years. The mature around the age of 12 and live a long lifespan of 57 to 63 years. Parent whales nurture for their young that are only 1.2 meters at birth. The false killer whales live in a large gathering of 12 to 20 whales and form even bigger groups when they need to migrate. The false killer whales have been displayed in several museums and marine parks. They are considered as curious, playful species and approach humans and boats easily without any fear.
False Killer Whales in Pacific Coast of Costa Rica
Set along the eastern tropical Pacific ocean, the pacific coast of Costa Rica has one of the largest populations of false killer whales. Numerous tourists and divers come over to the pacific side of the country to view the playful cetaceans. The whales are found in mostly coastal water but in deeper water as well. Thye are commonly seen swimming and breaching in the coast of Osa Peninsula, located south to the pacific coast. The park in Osa Peninsula, Corcovado National Park has a huge numbers of false killer whales as well as other whales and dolphins. Isle del Cano, a tiny island in Coronado Bay is a great place to observe the false killer whales. It located on the pacific coast, about 10 miles away from Puntarenas. Go on whale watching tours to Marino Ballena National Park situated in Uvita, Dominical Costa Rica and Violines Island and come across splendid false killer whales, humpback whales, Pilot whales, and lots of dolphins!
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References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_killer_whale
http://www.costacetacea.com/oceantribes/falsekillerwhales.html