The Secret to the Legendary Waters of Golfo Dulce

Golfo Dulce Park
Image Source: Costaricaweb.cr

In the Southern part of Costa Rica just above Panama is Golfo Dulce.  Wild, untouched raw nature, this bay is where you go for an exotic get away. With a fragile marine environment, it is one of only three tropical fjords in the entire world. The mangroves provide a crucial nursery for marine life such as sharks and shrimp.  With a depth of more than 1,000 feet in some places, it is one of the deepest gulfs on the planet.  It provides some of the best inshore fishing opportunities available anywhere.  With an abundance of snapper, roosterfish, grouper, snook, blue travelli, amber jack, jack crevalle and ciero mackeral there is no shortage of fishing opportunities here.  It is a bottomless pit in terms of the number of fish.  It is a favored destination spot for anglers, and Costa Rica has taken special efforts to preserve the surrounding the environment. The question is: What makes these waters so incredible?

Big Catch
Image Source: Crocodilebay.com

The reason the fishing in the gulf is so good is because of the mineral rich waters.  Many rivers flow into the gulf from the surrounding mountains, which is some of the most fertile land anywhere in the world.  The surrounding rainforest and mineral rich soil enriches the content of the river water, which then flows into the gulf.  Every day the clean deep blue waters of the gulf flood into open water with the tides.  These factors create an enormous amount of bait in the gulf attracting fish to the area.  It is an ideal spot for fish because there is an abundant food supply and clean water.

Kayak Family
Image Source: Costaricakayakfishing.net

Also contributing to the plentiful supply of fish is Costa Rica’s conservation efforts, which help to keep the fish populations healthy and prevent overfishing in the area.  The fishermen banded together to advocate for restrictions on commercial fishing practices in order to prevent overfishing.  Costa Rica remains committed to conservation in order to protect the thriving ecotourism business that their economy depends on. There is some concern about over recent trade agreements with China that could affect marine life and fishing regulations but there is a strong force at work to see that the area remains protected form commercial fishing.

Costa Rica Beach
Image Source: Crtourism.com

Gulfe Dolce remains one of the hottest spots in the world for fishing and ecotours.  Whether it is for inshore or big game fishing there are many different options to choose from in the gulf including the rivers and mangroves to explore.  It is the combination of the natural environment with conservation efforts that this area remains one of the sweetest spots in the world for anglers.  Crocodile Bay is located along the Golfo Dulce and is a favored spot for inshore fishing among anglers.

Sportfishing Calendar

January

Tuna, marlin and dorado taper off. Number of sailfish begins to increase.

February

Prime time for sailfish. Occassional marlin, tuna or dorado.

March

Prime time for sailfish.

April

Sailfish numbers drop mid-April and some marlin begin to appear.

May

Slower for billfish. Typically we start seeing schools of spinner dolphins with yellowfin tuna.

June

Slower for billfish. Spinner dolphins with yellowfin tuna.

July

Marlin begin to appear. A chance for black marlin as well as blues and striped marlin. A chance for tuna.

August

Marlin and tuna.

September

Slower for billfish. A chance for tuna and dorado.

October

Dorado begin to appear in numbers with marlin close behind.

November

A mixed bag of dorado, marlin and some big tuna.

December

Marlin, dorado, tuna and sailfish are all possibilities.