JOHN TRESEMER

A long-time Costa Rican resident, North American-born, with a background in marine and terrestrial ecology, conservation, and reforestation of native species (of which his family eco-lodge and its furniture is built), has participated in several government and non-government committees dealing with marine conservation in Costa Rica. With the help of the late Álvaro Ugalde Víquez and Mario Boza, the CIMAR of the UCR, and others, he was able to realize his personal goal of assisting directly in the creation of Reserva Biológica Isla del Caño in 1978 and later Parque Nacional Marino Ballena in 1989, and in order to comply with the requirements for creating this National Park, with the help of Jean Michel Cousteau, John became an expert in humpback whales. His research updated significantly  the scientific knowledge of their migrations, proving that Costa Rica is a unique convergence zone of both Northern and Southern Hemisphere humpbacks, the only ones in the world who cross the equator. Since then he has studied, photographed, and been very close to humpbacks, besides in Costa Rica, in Hawaii, Dominican Republic, California, Alaska, Tahiti, and Tonga.  John helped also with the creation of Parque Nacional Isla de Coco. Declared an Honorary Member of the Servicio de Parques Nacionales in 1991, he is still active in marine conservation and hopeful that Costa Rica can soon expand its positive ecological image and reputation by meeting the international 30-30 goal.