My name is David Roy Fulton. Please feel free to Google my name. I am an American writing for Americans. I have lived on the Osa Peninsula for over 14 years and in Costa Rica for over 20 years. My passions in life are writing, photography, and fishing. I came up with the idea for this website to help American tourists.
Americans are the #1 Tourists in the Osa Peninsula and Costa Rica
Visitors from the United States account for 59% of all tourism in Costa Rica. This website is for Americans coming to the Osa Peninsula for the first time, and for travelers homesick for places they have never been!
Local Knowledge
As a US-licensed boat captain coming into a new port, one of the #1 rules to follow is local knowledge. That is where this site comes from: LOCAL KNOWLEDGE! Having lived on the Osa Peninsula for over 14 years, I know it like the back of my hand.
Why I Live on the Osa Peninsula
For 8 months of my life every year, I was working out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. I started as a deckhand and finally became a captain running inspected boats. My first book, The Ghetto Dock, is about my younger years living in Dutch Harbor. You can find it on Amazon.
After a grueling 8 months working some of the toughest waters in the world, the need to see a palm tree was mandatory. I wanted to feel the warm sun on my face, put my weary body in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean, and watch the sunset at the end of the day.
Spending every winter on the Osa Peninsula allowed me to re-energize myself.
The Winters Were Not Enough!
Those short trips were not enough time. I would find myself not wanting to leave because the peaceful lifestyle had captured my soul. Leaving the Osa Peninsula was always a heartbreaking experience.
Dropped My Anchor in the Osa Peninsula
After 45 years of working all over the world as a licensed boat captain, I finally dropped my anchor on the Osa Peninsula. PURA VIDA!
Why the Osa Peninsula?
For myself, the draw would have to be the Golfo Dulce—in English, the “Sweet Gulf.” This is the most magical water I have ever seen, which is saying a lot since I have seen oceans all over the world!
Golfo Dulce
Golfo Dulce really isn’t a gulf but a fjord. It is one of five saltwater fjords in the world. This “Sweet Gulf” is a flat, calm tropical fjord that hosts humpback whales from both the northern and southern hemispheres. These whales show up in early July and stay until the end of October.
They come to these rich waters to give birth and to nurse their offspring. Truly, it is a magical time of the year.
The Lifestyle
The lifestyle here can be described in one word: tranquil. There are no interstate highways, no fast-food joints, and no stoplights. The world has slowed down on the Osa Peninsula.
The Mornings are Slow and Easy
We always wake up at 4 am. It is a quiet time of the morning. My German Shepherd dog, named Alaska, was a gift from a close local friend.
Our day starts with a daily greeting. The minute I move, Alaska comes over and nudges me. I give her pats and rub her favorite spots; in return, she gives me a kiss.
Once I let Alaska outside, I put on a pot of delicious Costa Rican coffee. I fill a cup and go to my front porch, sit in my rocking chair, and wait for the world to wake up.
The first sound I hear is the neighbors’ roosters greeting the day. Then, in the distance, the howler monkeys start to howl.
In the east, the dawn wins the battle against the darkness. Color begins forming in the sky as green parrots wake up and start to fly by the hundreds. All of them sing at the same time.
While I have my coffee, it is playtime with Alaska. She has her favorite toy, plus a collection of sticks and coconuts from the beach.
After our morning session, it is time for breakfast and a nap. I know it is a tough life, but someone has to do it.
I Write Two Hours a Day
Following our morning nap, I write for two hours a day. My second book is called A Hole in the Panga: Stories about Costa Rica. This book covers living in Costa Rica—the good, the bad, and the truth.
This site is just another form of writing for me. As a retired American boat captain, I enjoy giving local knowledge of the Osa Peninsula, a place I call home.