Part I: Reymundo’s Inspiration
Jahza, Reymundo and Reymar are the owners, property managers and adventure guides at Dolphin Quest.
Raymond Robert Klochko, known by friends as Reymundo, knew from a young age that he was meant to live in Costa Rica. The creation of Dolphin Quest however, was in large part inspired by his late daughter, Taisha. When she was three years old, Taisha's favorite activity was visiting aquariums. The pair soon became known regulars at the Steinhart Aquarium in Golden Gate Park, California. They had a special connection with the dolphins there and would often experiment with their abilities to communicate with them. Small groups of friends would visit with Reymundo and Taisha, close their eyes, hold hands, and envision the dolphins. Upon opening their eyes the dolphins would always appear. The connection with these particular dolphins was so strong that often the dolphins would deviate from their training during aquarium performances to visit the side of the tank where Reymundo and Taisha sat. Though Taisha became sick and passed away at the age of four, the memory of the duo's experiences with the dolphins inspired Reymundo to explore further.
Reymundo purchased the first 10 acres of Dolphin Quest land before ever having seen the property. With no money to pay for it, but a great deal of hope and determination, Reymundo traded his purple '69 BMW for the land. A year later, he arrived on the beach clutching a photo of what would become Dolphin Quest. It was an emotional moment, culminating a year since Taisha's passing and his arrival in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica. He collected beautiful crystals and rocks from the beach and built an altar in remembrance of Taisha. Later, while practicing Tai Chi, a sprouted coconut floated from the ocean to land between his feet on the shore. This became the perfect final piece in Taisha's memorial garden. The following year, Reymundo committed to bring his idea of Dolphin Quest to life and brought a converted '62 GMC forestry bus loaded with four people, a dog, a boat, a guitar, a motor, dive compressors and fishing gear from Northern California all the way to Golfito, Costa Rica through the Contra War...but that's a story for another day.
