Jaco Beach, Costa Rica (PressExposure) November 02, 2010 -- As I finish my research in the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica and the beautiful area of Puerto Viejo (Talamanca), I end it with a snorkeling adventure right off the beaches known as Playa Chiquita.
Here, I was quite amazed at the life surrounding the rocks and natural reefs near the coast. Immediately I noticed a large silver figure approaching and sure enough here was a Tarpon of about 60lbs. sizing me up. It is unusual that a Tarpon, no matter what size, would even get close enough to a person in the water, but this is no usual area and these are not the same Tarpon we are accustomed to know. For these Tarpon are not shy, scared or worried about people.
The Tarpon in this coast of Costa Rica have basically no reason to be. There is absolutely no fishing pressure of any kind and these fish are more than curious about us. The Tarpon fishing, whether using a fly or conventional methods, has to be unbelievable and there is no doubt there are plenty of Tarpon of all sizes all year around.
There are also Permit and Pompano around this beach and reefs. I did not see Permit, but have been told about many large schools. I did see a school of about 15 Florida Pompano that seemed to be in the 1lb. range. These Pompano acted no differently than the Tarpon and were not frightened at all of my presence.
At about 20 feet deep and around these very nice looking peeks just off the beach, I saw a school of about 20 Mahogany Snappers in the pound and a half range. Mahogany Snappers are not the usual species most of us are used to targeting or fishing, but these guys are true snappers, good fighters and a delicious treat at the dinner table. The Mahogany Snapper reaches a size of about 3lbs. They are probably the most visible and easy to target species of bottom fish in the area.
There are so many Spiny Lobsters in this area that sometimes I wondered if I would dive in and hit one of them before hitting bottom. There are no commercial fishermen in this part of Costa Rica, making the fishing, snorkeling and diving a unique experience.
My little snorkeling trip was very productive indeed and I am sure that at different times of the year, you can see Spanish Mackerel, Jack Crevalle and who knows what else in the crystal waters of the Caribbean. There are times when the water is not very clear here, but that is usually during the rainy season.
Do not forget this whole area is a true tropical rain forest. So far, the worst months for visibility seem to be November and December. Check out http://www.luredtocostarica.com for more information about traveling, fishing and visiting this safe, incredibly beautiful and lush tropical paradise in the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica.