Marina Puesta del Sol Resort

Whale Research Group Visits Nicaragua

Where humpback whales go, John Calambokidis and his research group follow. In February, John and his wife Gretchen Steiger led a volunteer research group from Olympia Washington to the Pacific shores of Nicaragua where they conducted extensive whale monitoring activities. Cascadia Research discovered ten years ago that many whales observed feeding off the coast of California in the summer were breeding off the coast of Central America in the winter. John’s research group set up home base at Marina Puesta del Sol, and spent the days photographing, identifying and listening with hydrophones to the complex songs of whales during mating season. In the evenings, Calambodkidis conducted fascinating lectures on marine mammal biology at the marina Yacht Club. The group (www.cascadiaresearch.org) was founded in 1979 to conduct research needed to manage and protect threatened marine mammals. John and Gretchen are planning to visit us again this coming February. Information about upcoming trips “for adventurous adults who are interested in helping with whale research in a beautiful remote region of northern Nicaragua at a comfortable resort” can be found at: www.cascadiaresearch.org/Nicaragua/nicaragua_trips.htm

For the fourth consecutive year, Marina Puesta del Sol was the home base for the seventh annual Flor de Caña International Fishing Tournament. The event was held on the first weekend of December at the marina/resort on the north coast of Nicaragua. The event drew participants from neighboring El Salvador and Costa Rica as well as from different parts of Nicaragua, and was sponsored by Nicaraguan rum manufacturer, Flor de Caña, Casa Pellas, Toyota, and Marina Puesta del Sol. Cash prizes, a car, and cases of the internationally famous Flor de Caña rum were awarded in various categories to the participants. Over twenty boats took part in the search for dorado, marlin, and sailfish off the north Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Early mornings saw the fleet head out from the marina to open waters for a day of sport fishing some forty to fifty miles off the coast. With plenty of internationally reknown Flor de Cana rum flowing, participants regaled each other with stories about “the one that got away” during the evenings festivities.