Hammerhead Shark Sanctuary, Golfo Dulce

Project Leader

Ilena Zanella and Andres Lopez

The Golfo Dulce project by Ocean Blue Tree supports Misión Tiburón to strengthen the Scalloped Hammerhead Shark Sanctuary through education and population monitoring. Over 500 children and 200 young adults have been engaged to promote sustainable practices and protect shark habitats in Costa Rica.

Project Location:
The Golfo Dulce project is located in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, specifically focusing on the Scalloped Hammerhead Shark Sanctuary in the southern Pacific region, near the Osa Peninsula and Piedras Blancas National Park.

Partnership

Misión Tiburón

Year

2019

Location

Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica

Education is the key.

In 2010, Golfo Dulce was declared a Marine Responsible Fishing Area, which prohibited trawling by shrimp boats and gill nets. However, longline fishing continued to catch juvenile hammerhead sharks until Gulfo Dulce was declared a hammerhead shark sanctuary in 2018.

Ocean Blue Tree is supporting Misión Tiburón to strengthen the Scalloped Hammerhead Shark Sanctuary in Golfo Dulce, through education and continued population monitoring. Over 500 children have been engaged through educational activities at Misión Tiburón’s Educational Station. A further more than 200 young adults have completed a training workshop designed to promote environmental responsible activities and demonstrate alternative livelihoods from fisheries.

PROJECT LEADER

Ilena Zanella and Andres Lopez

Marine biologists and co-founders of Mision Tiburon, Ilena Zanella and Andres Lopez run a Costa Rica–based NGO dedicated to shark and marine conservation. With over 20 years of experience, they focus on scientific research, habitat protection, and environmental education.
Ilena is a member of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group and a fellow of the Ocean Leaders Program. Andres leads community-driven projects that bridge science, policy, and local engagement.
Their work has shaped national and international conservation policies, including CITES and IUCN listings.

Together, they turn science into action to protect marine ecosystems.

Tracking Shark Populations in Golfo Dulce Sanctuary

Scientists are monitoring the relative abundance of the scalloped hammerhead shark population in Golfo Dulce to determine the effectivity of the management actions. The team have tagged 90 sharks of 6 different species; tiger shark, scalloped hammerhead, blacktip shark, sharpnose shark, scoophead shark and smalltail shark. The team plan to deploy 10 acoustic and 3 satellite tags to track shark movements inside and outside the protected area.

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