293
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
M.R. Rossi-Santos, C.W. Finkl (eds.), Advances in Marine Vertebrate Research
in Latin America, Coastal Research Library 22,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-56985-7_12
Chapter 12
Ecology and Conservation of Cetaceans
of Costa Rica and Panama
Laura J. May-Collado, Marisol Amador-Caballero, José Julio Casas,
Mónica P. Gamboa-Poveda, Frank Garita-Alpízar, Tim Gerrodette,
Rocío González-Barrientos, Gabriela Hernández-Mora, Daniel M. Palacios,
José D. Palacios-Alfaro, Betzi Pérez, Kristin Rasmussen,
Lissette Trejos- Lasso, and Javier Rodríguez-Fonseca
L.J. May-Collado (*)
Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
e-mail: lmaycoll@uvm.edu
M. Amador-Caballero • J. Rodríguez-Fonseca
PROMAR, San José, Costa Rica
e-mail: marisol.acaballero@gmail.com; javierf2006@yahoo.com
J.J. Casas
Universidad Marítima Internacional de Panamá, Panama City, Panama
PANACETACEA, Saint Paul, MN, USA
e-mail: josejuliocasas@yahoo.es
M.P. Gamboa-Poveda • B. Pérez • K. Rasmussen • L. Trejos-Lasso
PANACETACEA, Saint Paul, MN, USA
e-mail: monicagamboapo@gmail.com; betziperez@yahoo.com;
Krill@aol.com; sselita18@gmail.com
F. Garita-Alpízar
Fundacion VIDA, Santa Ana, Costa Rica
PANACETACEA, Saint Paul, MN, USA
e-mail: frankgarita@gmail.com
T. Gerrodette
National Marine Fisheries Service, La Jolla, CA, USA
e-mail: Tim.Gerrodette@noaa.gov
Abstract The cetacean species richness of Costa Rica and Panama represents about
36% of the species described worldwide. Within the economical coastal waters of
these countries bottlenose dolphins, the pantropical spotted dolphins, the Guiana dolphin, and humpback whales are the most commonly observed. Their high sight fidelity and predictability has resulted in a rapid increase on the whale-watching industry,
perhaps second to incidental mortality, when unregulated whale-watching can negatively affect coastal cetacean populations. In this Chapter, we provide a summary of
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
M.R. Rossi-Santos, C.W. Finkl (eds.), Advances in Marine Vertebrate Research
in Latin America, Coastal Research Library 22,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-56985-7_12
Chapter 12
Ecology and Conservation of Cetaceans
of Costa Rica and Panama
Laura J. May-Collado, Marisol Amador-Caballero, José Julio Casas,
Mónica P. Gamboa-Poveda, Frank Garita-Alpízar, Tim Gerrodette,
Rocío González-Barrientos, Gabriela Hernández-Mora, Daniel M. Palacios,
José D. Palacios-Alfaro, Betzi Pérez, Kristin Rasmussen,
Lissette Trejos- Lasso, and Javier Rodríguez-Fonseca
L.J. May-Collado (*)
Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
e-mail: lmaycoll@uvm.edu
M. Amador-Caballero • J. Rodríguez-Fonseca
PROMAR, San José, Costa Rica
e-mail: marisol.acaballero@gmail.com; javierf2006@yahoo.com
J.J. Casas
Universidad Marítima Internacional de Panamá, Panama City, Panama
PANACETACEA, Saint Paul, MN, USA
e-mail: josejuliocasas@yahoo.es
M.P. Gamboa-Poveda • B. Pérez • K. Rasmussen • L. Trejos-Lasso
PANACETACEA, Saint Paul, MN, USA
e-mail: monicagamboapo@gmail.com; betziperez@yahoo.com;
Krill@aol.com; sselita18@gmail.com
F. Garita-Alpízar
Fundacion VIDA, Santa Ana, Costa Rica
PANACETACEA, Saint Paul, MN, USA
e-mail: frankgarita@gmail.com
T. Gerrodette
National Marine Fisheries Service, La Jolla, CA, USA
e-mail: Tim.Gerrodette@noaa.gov
Abstract The cetacean species richness of Costa Rica and Panama represents about
36% of the species described worldwide. Within the economical coastal waters of
these countries bottlenose dolphins, the pantropical spotted dolphins, the Guiana dolphin, and humpback whales are the most commonly observed. Their high sight fidelity and predictability has resulted in a rapid increase on the whale-watching industry,
perhaps second to incidental mortality, when unregulated whale-watching can negatively affect coastal cetacean populations. In this Chapter, we provide a summary of