http://RealAdventures.com/vacations/438249_north-pacific-costa-rica-articles.htm Check out some of the recently updated travel & vacation listings on RealAdventures. Be inspired, go explore! en-us Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:54:40 GMT Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:54:40 GMT http://RealAdventures.com http://RealAdventures.com/vacations/438249_north-pacific-costa-rica-articles.htm 100 100 http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1197885_History-Of-Scuba-Diving-Adventure-In-Costa-Rica http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1197885_History-Of-Scuba-Diving-Adventure-In-Costa-Rica Articles Costa Rica Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:06:05 As early as 1970 scuba diving in Costa Rica was unheard of. It wasn't until 1978 that whitewater river rafting was started and it was the mid 80's before we knew what a zip line canopy tour was. -
As early as 1970 scuba diving in Costa Rica was unheard of. It wasn't until 1978 that whitewater river rafting was started and it was the mid 80's before we knew what a zip line canopy tour was.


By Bill Beard
Less than a decade ago, Costa Rica was virtually unknown as a destination for diving. Suddenly it is being applauded for its variety and abundance of marine life. New facilities along the Pacific coastline are now offering firstclass dive boats and fully stocked dive shops. And best of all, divers enjoy the excitement of truly virgin diving in areas never before explored.

Costa Ricas bid to become a player in the arena of the worlds leading dive destinations didnt happen overnight. It has taken time and determination. In the 1960s bananas were the number one industry, coffee production was second, and tourism didnt exist.

When Bill Beard, widely recognized as the true pioneer of scuba diving in Costa Rica and one of the key players in bringing Costa Rica to the forefront as a dive destination made his first trek in 1970, there were no scuba tanks in the country. But on his second visit he changed that by bringing tanks in his bags something you probably couldnt get away with today. He got his tanks filled with compressed air at the local gas company and found someone to take him out in a dugout canoe. It wasnt difficult to see the potential for diving in Costa Rica, but it certainly wasnt easy for Bill to fulfill his dream.

To bring this vision to life meant that Bill Beard had to carve an industry where none existed. He is responsible for many firsts in Costa Rica scuba diving the first working instructor, the first dive shop, and the first beachbased dive center to run daily scuba diving excursions.

Training of the first divers in Costa Rica came in the back of his barbeque restaurant in San Jose, where students attended classes after hours. Word spread and classes filled. It was in these first few sessions that most of the dive masters now working on Costa Ricas live aboard boats and in landbased dive operations throughout the country got their training.

It wasnt long before Bill opened Costa Ricas first professional, fullservice dive shop, Mundo Acuatico, in San Pedro, which is still in operation today. In the early 1980s, Diving Safaris, owned by Bill Beard became the first beachbased dive center, getting its start in Playa del Coco, moving to Ocotal, and eventually settling in Playa Hermosa. When Bill Beard and his wife Nadine were running the daytoday operation in the late 1980s and early 1990s they were the recipient of many awards from the scuba diving community, including No. 1 in Rodales Scuba Divings Top 10 Dive Operator in the IndoPacific and SSIs Platinum Pro 5000.

This was a period of great growth for Costa Ricas adventure tourism industry, and Bill wasnt the only one paving the way. It was during this same time that another pioneer was forming his own niche within the country. Californianative, Michael Kaye, led the way in another waterbased activity by opening Costa Ricas first white water river rafting company Costa Rica Expeditions in 1978.

Many rafting companies soon followed in Michaels footsteps, and Costa Ricas whitewater river rafting industry was suddenly booming. The Class 4 rapids and pristine beauty of the Pacuare and Reventazon rivers quickly garnered worldwide attention. Today the Pacuare is widely considered one of the top five rivers in the world for white water rafting. There are a number of rivers being used for rafting today and the Sarapiqui and Tenorio have also become very popular.

Michael Kaye has continued to be a leader and shaker in what has become an eco adventuretourism mecca. Costa Rica Expeditions now owns hotels in Monteverde, Tortuguero, and Corcovado. Michael and his company have received several awards from Conde Naste and the Travel & Leisure for sustaining ecotourism.

Scuba diving got another big boost in the 1980s when Tomas Pozuelo, owner of Jacks and Pozuelo, Costa Ricas largest cookie and snack companies, bought the Okeanos Agressor. Getting the permits necessary to bring this vessel to the area enabled scuba divers to enjoy the beauty and electric diving at the Cocos Islands. Doing this really put Costa Rica on the map as one of the worlds top ten dive destinations. Its beauty is unsurpassed, and it is famous known for its large schools of hammerheads, rays, and other pelagics. Many times it has been voted No. 1 in Rodales Top 10 Dive Destinations and Top 10 Dive Liveaboards. The Okeanos Agressor was joined at the Cocos Islands in the 1990s by two additional liveaboard vessels owned by Avi Klapper the Sea Hunter and the Undersea Hunter.

The deepsea sport fishing industry was taking off in the early 80s with new hotels and the countries first marina being built in Flamingo. Until that time most of the sport fishing boats were based at Ocotal and Bahia Pez Vela. There was a shortage of nice fishing boats and Dennis Garrett started filling that void by designing and building a wonderful 32foot sport fishing boat in Costa Rica. Many of the 117 worlds records set during the 1980s to the late 1990s on Costa Ricas Pacific coast and the Barrio del Colorado on the Caribbean side still stand today. One thing that helped the industry was Costa Rica initiating and supporting the catch and release program that has helped assure there are always plenty of fish.

In the 1990s, Canadian Darren Hrenluk, opened the Original Canopy Tour and the complexion of ecotourism changed again. This unique, exhilarating, and exotic experience fit well in Costa Ricas natural landscape.

Everyone had their own niche market, but no one was packaging these activities together. Avid river rafters came to San Jose, but didnt make the fourhour trek to the Pacific beaches. Scuba divers went to the Pacific coast or Cocos Islands, bur rarely saw the rest of the county, with the exception of the transfer to and from the San Jose airport. Fishermen flew on prop planes to where the fish were biting before returning to San Jose.

The first scuba diving tourists to come to the Pacific were so much in awe of the sights they were being treated to under water that they often left Costa Rica without seeing any of the topside beauty. To participate in the white water rafting it was necessary to overnight in San Jose, and most scuba divers werent willing to give up two nights of their weeklong dive vacation.

However, it was natural to combine turtle nesting and hatching tours or scenic, tranquil river floats to the scuba divers itineraries as they were nearby. Divers visiting landbased operations were still diving five or six days, but in the early 1980s we recognized the need to maximize their vacation time. The divers began doing a few tours in the afternoon and seeing the turtles at night, but they were still leaving Costa Rica without experiencing the volcanoes and rainforest so many planned a second and third trip back to the country.

By the year 2000, a wide variety of activities such as hanging bridges, aerial trams, ATVs and canyoning treks had sprung up in every corner of the country. Canopy tours became ubiquitous. According to a recent survey by the ICT (National Tourism Institute) 85% of all tourists now reported that a canopy tour was on their list of must dos while visiting Costa Rica.

Many things changed the face of tourism in Costa Rica, but it was the opening of the Daniel Oduber International airport in Liberia that put the ability to provide combination adventure tour packages over the top. More than 40 flights a week bring over 100,000 passengers a year into Liberia and the Guanacaste province. Tourism is now the leading industry in Costa Rica, leaving bananas and coffee far behind in its wake.

Instead of having to drive four hours from San Jose to enjoy the offerings of the Pacific regions and Guanacaste, the region the majority of tourists prefer to visit, there was now have the choice to fly directly into Liberia. From Liberia visitors can be at many of the Pacific beach resorts in half an hour to an hour.

Maximizing your vacation time has become a breeze. Fly into Liberia, spend time snorkeling or diving while staying at the Pacific beaches with their gorgeous views, travel by car or van to Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve, make the crossing by boat to Arenal Volcano for the hot springs, canopy tours, ATVs, and canyoning. Make a wild river raft down the Sarapiqui, take out in a verdant rain forest, and fly out of San Jose.

The visionaries who created the ecotourism market in Costa Rica overcame many hurdles, but the only challenge facing you today is to decide which activities will make your vacation dreams come true.
Details & Reservations: History Of Scuba Diving & Adventure In Costa Rica
RealAdventures | Costa Rica Articles

]]> http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1156544_Orcas-Humpback-Whales-In-Costa-Rica http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1156544_Orcas-Humpback-Whales-In-Costa-Rica Articles Costa Rica Sat, 11 Apr 2009 07:04:09 Orcas and humpback whales have been sighted in increasing numbers in March 2008. We have sighted, documented and photographed seventeen orcas and ten humpbacks already this month in the Northwest Pacific of Costa Rica while diving with Bill Beard's - US $94 Per Night
Orcas and humpback whales have been sighted in increasing numbers in March 2008. We have sighted, documented and photographed seventeen orcas and ten humpbacks already this month in the Northwest Pacific of Costa Rica while diving with Bill Beard's


Dear Traveler,
There are few places in the world that can offer the rich diversity provided by Costa Rica. Where else can you find tropical rainforests, active volcanoes, jungle lined rivers, white sandy beaches and scuba diving all in one province?

GENERAL COSTA RICA SCUBA DIVING INFORMATIONThe best yearround landbased diving in Costa Rica is available on the Northwest Pacific Coast in the Gulf of Papagayo and the Catalina Islands, but there is also diving available in the Central Pacific and South Pacific regions. Snorkeling is good along the Southern Atlantic/Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, and a couple of dive operators are located there, but with limited capacity and availability.

Average visibility ranges from 30 ft. to 50 ft. with possibilities of up to 80 ft. Diving is done around volcanic rock formations and rock pinnacles. There is very little hard coral, but there is some black coral, soft coral and orange cup coral that opens up at night. There is an abundance of life among the rocks which can be seen on both day and night dives.

Night dives are consistently a favorite in the Gulf of Papagayo (not offered in the Catalina/Flamingo area). You will begin the dive with a relaxing ride during which you will experience a sunset unlike any other. The dive itself offers you the chance to explore the micro life, along with very large puffer fish, nudibranchs, gigantic slumbering parrot fish, lobster, tube worms and sea horses. In addition to the marine life we take the opportunity to extinguish our lights and play by the light of the phosphorous, which can create quite a light show. The cup coral, open at night is stupendous.

Some additional information you might find useful.
Water temperature from midMay to midDecember is generally from 7578 at depth and a polartec or 3MM suit are usually sufficient. From midDecember to midApril, water temperatures vary from day to day, with thermoclines causing temperatures to dip to 70 at depth so you will want to bring a full 3MM suit during this period (5 MM if you are easily chilled). The outside temperature at the beaches is 85 to 90 year round. The rainy season runs from May to November, with these months providing some of our best diving.

Because of its compact geography, everyone in Costa Rica is presented with a cornucopia of choices. The biggest challenge in Costa Rica is trying to decide which combination is best for your vacation. This is where Bill Beard's Costa Rica Adventure Travel comes in. We have been in Costa Rica since 1970 and know the country well enabling us to provide our clients with the best that Costa Rica has to offer.

Our goal is to help you share in the wonders of nature and enjoy every minute of your vacation. Our commitment to quality and personalized service is unsurpassed.

All of our Bill Beard's Choice Tour packages are privately escorted in a modern, airconditioned vehicle by one of our English speaking, Costa Rican naturalist guides traveling at your pace.

Invariably, when we ask our clients what one thing stands out most about their vacation, the reply is "the guide." Guides take the hassle out of travel. They provide education, insight into the host culture, and in many cases a lifetime friendship.

COME TO COSTA RICA FOR THE NATURAL BEAUTY...STAY FOR THE ADVENTURE

Details & Reservations: Orcas & Humpback Whales In Costa Rica
RealAdventures | Costa Rica Articles

]]> http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1197882_River-Rafting-In-Costa-Rica http://RealAdventures.com/listings/1197882_River-Rafting-In-Costa-Rica Articles Costa Rica Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:04:44 This is a great river for beginners and old pros alike. Depending on the season it can be from a class II to a class IV. This scenic tropical river offers an exciting day of rafting. The crystal clear waters of the Sarapiqui are action packed. -
This is a great river for beginners and old pros alike. Depending on the season it can be from a class II to a class IV. This scenic tropical river offers an exciting day of rafting. The crystal clear waters of the Sarapiqui are action packed.



Details & Reservations: River Rafting In Costa Rica
RealAdventures | Costa Rica Articles

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