Islas Murcielagos and Bahia Hueveos, Guanacaste
The Pacific coast of Cost Rica has much to offer explorers: great surf, wonderful beaches and coastlines, mangrove and other tropical forests and an abundance of wildlife. The one thing that is not as spectacular, however, is the snorkeling: the very thing that makes this exciting coast a Mecca for surfers and beach lovers, the intense wave action and warm but turbid waters, does not allow for great coral reef formation and though exceedingly rich in sea life, the visibility in these waters tends to be poor.
This is the main reason to travel to the Bat Islands, or Islas Murcielagos. Being slightly offshore, the copious silt and nutrients poured into the coastal waters by myriad Costa Rican rivers has dissipated, and the waters are suddenly crystal clear – fish everywhere: the sheer abundance was overwhelming, especially for those who adventured a little further from the beautiful beach. Schools of goatfish, spot-tailed grunt, angel fish and damsel fish swirled around us, whilst the more shy, colourful and individual reef fish flitted in between the rocks and corals.
As we awoke and looked out of our portholes, we were at first taken aback by the strong winds and ubiquitous whitecaps; but the day’s weather ended up just adding to its general excitement. We snorkeled through crystalline waters in Islas Murcielagos, then later in the day, having sailed back to the mainland, we found ourselves in the most picturesque small bay you could ever imagine: Bahia Huevos. Here we swam in warm waters under powerful tropical rain showers off a pristine beach lined by dense forest from which we could hear howler monkeys howl. We also snorkeled, took Zodiac cruises through mangrove-lined rivers, built towering sand castles and rode our high speed banana boat. A magnificent sky full of complex patterns and lights at sunset seemed to put the finishing touch to a truly enjoyable day, but it was not over yet!
Towards the end of dinner, our family activities coordinator and younger guests, having eaten supper earlier, came rushing through to inform us of exciting activities in the illuminated waters at our stern. Predatory sea creatures such as dolphin and tuna had driven a school of smaller fish into a tight bait ball, and we watched enthralled as the underlying drama unfolded in front of our eyes – do the wonders of the natural world ever cease?
The Pacific coast of Cost Rica has much to offer explorers: great surf, wonderful beaches and coastlines, mangrove and other tropical forests and an abundance of wildlife. The one thing that is not as spectacular, however, is the snorkeling: the very thing that makes this exciting coast a Mecca for surfers and beach lovers, the intense wave action and warm but turbid waters, does not allow for great coral reef formation and though exceedingly rich in sea life, the visibility in these waters tends to be poor.
This is the main reason to travel to the Bat Islands, or Islas Murcielagos. Being slightly offshore, the copious silt and nutrients poured into the coastal waters by myriad Costa Rican rivers has dissipated, and the waters are suddenly crystal clear – fish everywhere: the sheer abundance was overwhelming, especially for those who adventured a little further from the beautiful beach. Schools of goatfish, spot-tailed grunt, angel fish and damsel fish swirled around us, whilst the more shy, colourful and individual reef fish flitted in between the rocks and corals.
As we awoke and looked out of our portholes, we were at first taken aback by the strong winds and ubiquitous whitecaps; but the day’s weather ended up just adding to its general excitement. We snorkeled through crystalline waters in Islas Murcielagos, then later in the day, having sailed back to the mainland, we found ourselves in the most picturesque small bay you could ever imagine: Bahia Huevos. Here we swam in warm waters under powerful tropical rain showers off a pristine beach lined by dense forest from which we could hear howler monkeys howl. We also snorkeled, took Zodiac cruises through mangrove-lined rivers, built towering sand castles and rode our high speed banana boat. A magnificent sky full of complex patterns and lights at sunset seemed to put the finishing touch to a truly enjoyable day, but it was not over yet!
Towards the end of dinner, our family activities coordinator and younger guests, having eaten supper earlier, came rushing through to inform us of exciting activities in the illuminated waters at our stern. Predatory sea creatures such as dolphin and tuna had driven a school of smaller fish into a tight bait ball, and we watched enthralled as the underlying drama unfolded in front of our eyes – do the wonders of the natural world ever cease?
