Richard Wilson is a local fisherman and tour guide residing in Cahuita, Costa Rica. Originally born in Nicaragua, he moved to Costa Rica to be with family members and to embrace the local culture. He uses his boat, Jamaica Town, to support himself financially through fishing and snorkeling tours. Eighteen years ago, he found the boat submerged underwater in Límon by Uvita Island while free diving. He then went back using SCUBA and dug out the vessel from the sand and lifted the bow and stern using floats, an exhausting process that took a total of four hours. He believes that the vessel is originally from Jamaica because of its overall design. Originally made of fiberglass, Richard has done extensive repairs to his boat to produce the product we see today. There are three keels on “Jamaica Town”, which function as a stabilizer for balancing the boat as it moves across ocean waves. Richard proudly believes that there are only two types of boats like “Jamaica Town” in Cahuita today, making his vessel both unique and highly valued.
To make extra money, Richard fishes a variety of fish species. He primarily targets Red Snapper, but also comes across Barracuda, King Fish, and other local game. His job becomes increasingly difficult when the water level rises throughout the region because he is not able to fish or do anything on the ocean. This is a major concern to him because fishing is his personal livelihood and how he feeds his family. He collaborates with other fishermen to complete their work and then splits the profits. He free dives for lobster as well. He can free diving to depths of over fourteen meters, showing both skill and determination on the part of a diver seeking game. Safety is always of the upmost concern when conducting these dives. Divers never submerge themselves without the presence of a buddy and they are continuously checking each other to make sure they are fit enough to make the dive and to keep in communication with the boat using signs and gestures. There are reportedly only eight free divers who practice this tradition in Cahuita.
Richard has three children, aged twenty-three, eighteen, and ten; he sees his trade as something he can pass down to future generations of fishermen so that the traditions in both free diving and the Cahuitan fishing culture can be continued.
-Kelsey