Blue Whale in Costa Rica
October 30th, 2012
A widespread number of nudibranchs are found in the seas worldwide. They are a member of Nudiabranchia which is a group of marine gastropod mollusks. There are more than 3,000 species of nudibranchs, several of which are seen in Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. These are soft bodied mollusks well-known for their remarkably vibrant colors and unusual body forms. Nudibranch are bilaterally symmetrical, internally as well as externally which results due to secondary detorsion. Some of them bear a gut and a radula. Their eyes are minute (a quarter of millimetre) which are embedded in the body and are capable of differentiating between dark and light. Some nudibranch have toxic appendages that help escape the predators. They have tentacles located on the head that are noted for their sensitivity to touch, taste and odours. The adult form of nudibranch sheds it shell and become soft bodied.
They breathe through naked gills, hence the name nudibranch (Nudi= Naked, branch = gills). The size of adult Nudibranch varies, from 20 to 600 millimetres. Nudibranchs are hermaphroditic, but cannot fertilize between themselves and have to lay eggs instead. They are carnivores feeding on sponges, hydrioids, sea slugs and their eggs, bryozoans, tunicates, barnacles, anemones and even other nudibranchs. One of the extraordinary feature of nudibranchs is camouflage that helps them in defending themselves from the predators. Often the aposematic coloration, a warning signal, fools the predators in thinking that the nudibranchs are poisonous and unpleasant. There are two main kinds of Nudibranchs, droids and aeolids, both of which are found in Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. Droids have branchial gills whereas aeolids have cephalic tentacles. They dwell in almost all depth of the sea water but their numbers are increased in warm and shallow waters.
The Pacific Coast of Costa Rica is famous for its abundant sea-life. Sharks, whales, dolphins, turtles and manta rays are quite striking but the smaller, exotic creatures are no less. In the warmer and shallow waters of the Pacific coast, about 12 different species of brightly coloured nudibranchs are found.
On the north-western part of the country, Guanacaste, a province of Costa Rica, is quite renowned for scuba diving and snorkeling. With more than sixty spots for diving that include the impressive private resort beaches, Playa Flamingo and Playa del Coco, it attracts divers due to its abundance of marine life. Frogfish, moray eels, humpback whales, white-tipped reef sharks, angel-fish, dolphins, manta rays, and the exquisite types of nudibranchs can be easily viewed while diving. Osa Peninsula is present on the southern part of the Pacific Coast. It is a beautiful, secluded place full of lusg scenery and amazing diving spots, and a great nature reserve park, Cano Island Biological Reserve. The divers are greeted by a beautiful sights of nudibranchs, schools of jacks, manta rays, white-tip sharks and hundreds of other marine creatures. Nicoya Peninsula, lying on the southern tip of Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, is highly multifarious. Sea waters surrounding the shores of Montezuma, Mal Pais, Cabuya, Tambor Bay, Santa Teresa and lots of other are flourishing with different species of Nudibranchs.
Because it’s so small, one has to be very experienced to spot this colorful creature during diving, especially because most dive tours have you moving constantly. To find these guys, it’s better to stay put in an area and look closely and patiently.
Tortuga Island is a small tranquil island that can be visited from Santa Teresa and Montezuma. It is well known for its wide, sun-lit snorkelling spots. The water in this region is rich with nudibranchs. Cabo Blanco Marine Reserve is a nature reservatory in Nicoya Peninsula which houses countless species of marine life, including nudibranch. Midway to the Pacific Coast, the great place for diving and snorkeling exists, known as Coco Island. Some species of nudibranchs have been seen there. Countless nudibranchs can be seen floating in the shallow waters of Catalina Island, which is a gathering of rocky isles near the Gulf of Papagayo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudibranch
Nudibranch in Malpais
http://www.nudipixel.net/location/costa_rica/