Cetacean strandings in Costa Rica (1966-1999)

ABSTRACT

Cetacean strandings in Costa Rica are reported for a period of 33 years, with a total of 35 strandings, 13 species and 247 individuals involved. The vast majority of documented strandings occurred on the Pacific coast and correspond to single individuals (32 and 28 strandings respectively). The highest stranding number was in the period from 1990 to 1999 (n = 24). Physeter catodon (cachalot or sperm whale) is the species with the highest frequency of strandings (n = 8) and the family Delphinidae has the majority of species (n = 8) and strandings (n = 22). No other general tendencies were determined with the existing data.