With an incredible sunrise our morning start at Drakes Bay, Costa Rica. Our group was ready to explore the trails and fascinating ecologies of the region. Peninsula Osa is considered one of the most vibrating places on the world about abundance of wildlife. Today was just our first day of the trip and it was successful. Our first sighting was a troop of Central American spider monkeys, who were crossing over our heads braking branches and foraging for fruits. Those monkeys are unique cause are the only primates from the new world who lack thumbs. The calls of the birds were also notable on the surrounding forest even when the noise cicadas were loud as a chainsaw. We saw trogons, antbirds, and tanagers. We enjoy the walk to a waterfall, following a trail with a lot of roots and mud but with some huge trees, some of them so tall that you can see the shade that is created for them do not let anything else grow underneath. The tropical rainforest shows how humid and diverse this ecosystem is. It was a lot of fun in our first day in Costa Rica.
1/19/2025
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National Geographic Quest
Coiba and Cocos Islands, Panama
Our ship anchored off Coiba Island, Panama, early in the morning. The sun had just risen, casting a golden light over the dense rainforest. After a wonderful breakfast, we disembarked at the ranger station. Dividing into groups, some of us set off on a guided walk through the jungle, spotting scarlet macaws and other colorful birds in the trees adjacent to the ocean. Others chose to kayak or paddleboard along the mangrove-lined shores, gliding over the calm, clear water. By midday, we returned to the ship and cruised by Zodiacs toward Cocos Island, an uninhabited islet nearby. The staff prepared our snorkeling gear, and soon we were in the water, surrounded by schools of vibrant fish. The reef was teeming with life—parrotfish, angelfish, and even a few white-tip reef sharks moved gracefully among the coral. Sunlight filtered through the surface, illuminating the underwater world in dazzling colors. After an unforgettable afternoon, we returned to the ship, exhilarated by the day’s adventures. As the sun set, we looked back at the islands, grateful for the opportunity to explore such pristine and biodiverse waters.
