Golfo Dulce
Our first day in Costa Rica! We were awakened by the voice of Gustavo, our Expedition Leader, on the PA system. “New country, bright new day!”
We first stopped briefly at the small port of Golfito to properly check into the country with the authorities. The calm waters of the Golfo Dulce on the pristine and isolated southwest coast of Costa Rica are the location of unimaginable diversity. Right after clearing customs and immigration, we immediately set off for the mouth of the Esquinas River.
Calm waters and a sunny morning warmly received us as we set up for our upstream excursion through the mangrove forest via Zodiac and kayaks. Many birds were observed: striped cuckoo, smoothed-billed ani, lineated woodpeckers, several species of herons, and several birds characteristic of the mud flats and the mangrove ecosystem, white Ibis, whimbrels, willets, spotted sandpipers, and an endemic species unique to this part of the world, the mangrove hummingbird. Toward the end of our morning outing we were pleasantly surprised by the discovery of a couple of boas coiled on the trees above the water.
The afternoon was quite special with a visit to Casa Orquideas botanical garden and its wonderful assortment of tropical plants and birds. Hosted by Ron and Trudy McAllister, who have tenderly collected and attended their property for the last 30 years, our naturalists led walks through the different exhibits of different tropical plants: spices, medicinal, ornamental, etc, while at the same time observing birds as tropical as they come: chestnut-mandibled and fiery-billed aracary toucans and the spectacular scarlet macaws.
As we start heading back to the Sea Voyager, satisfied with a really good day, we observe over the hilltops a couple of King Vultures that gently and effortlessly soar into view, as if to give us as a proper farewell for a perfect day…the icing on top of the cake!
Our first day in Costa Rica! We were awakened by the voice of Gustavo, our Expedition Leader, on the PA system. “New country, bright new day!”
We first stopped briefly at the small port of Golfito to properly check into the country with the authorities. The calm waters of the Golfo Dulce on the pristine and isolated southwest coast of Costa Rica are the location of unimaginable diversity. Right after clearing customs and immigration, we immediately set off for the mouth of the Esquinas River.
Calm waters and a sunny morning warmly received us as we set up for our upstream excursion through the mangrove forest via Zodiac and kayaks. Many birds were observed: striped cuckoo, smoothed-billed ani, lineated woodpeckers, several species of herons, and several birds characteristic of the mud flats and the mangrove ecosystem, white Ibis, whimbrels, willets, spotted sandpipers, and an endemic species unique to this part of the world, the mangrove hummingbird. Toward the end of our morning outing we were pleasantly surprised by the discovery of a couple of boas coiled on the trees above the water.
The afternoon was quite special with a visit to Casa Orquideas botanical garden and its wonderful assortment of tropical plants and birds. Hosted by Ron and Trudy McAllister, who have tenderly collected and attended their property for the last 30 years, our naturalists led walks through the different exhibits of different tropical plants: spices, medicinal, ornamental, etc, while at the same time observing birds as tropical as they come: chestnut-mandibled and fiery-billed aracary toucans and the spectacular scarlet macaws.
As we start heading back to the Sea Voyager, satisfied with a really good day, we observe over the hilltops a couple of King Vultures that gently and effortlessly soar into view, as if to give us as a proper farewell for a perfect day…the icing on top of the cake!
