The inlet starts on the Pacific Ocean side of Costa Rica and extends slightly northward before turning west.

[2] This followed the work of Misión Tiburón, an organisation led by marine biologists Ilena Zanella and Andres Lopez.

Using both conventional and acoustic tagging programs, the migration of adult scalloped hammerheads was recorded from Cocos Island - where they feed and mate in the pelagic waters - to the estuaries, bays and mangroves of Golfo Dulce.

The protection of sanctuary status will help prevent capture of these sharks in bottom long-line fishing, where as bycatch, they are killed by finning practises.

Golfo Dulce was announced a Mission Blue hope spot in February 2019, following the recognition of the unique biome of the tropical gulf as home to marine life including the scalloped hammerheads, humpback whale and four species of dolphin.

Mission Blue, launched in 2009 by Sylvia Earle aims to raise awareness and protect areas of the sea highlighted as “critical to the health of the ocean”.

[4] The Golfo Dulce is considered a tropical fjord with an average annual temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit, an extremely rare biome.

The area is an ideal breeding ground due to the warm water temperature, which averages 84.7 degrees Fahrenheit, paired with an abundance of small fish and plankton which these species feed off of.

The ecosystem that surrounds the actual Golfo Dulce is just as rich in life as in the water with two to three percent of flora being found nowhere else on Earth.

Golfito is a town directly east of the Golfo Dulce, its economy is based primarily on the vast palm oil plantations that surround it.

Zancudo attracts tourists with its pristine beaches and natural beauty; it is one of the less inhabited areas of Costa Rica.

Along with eco-tourism, the Osa Peninsula attracts surfers to its famous break named Matapalo, which faces directly south.