Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica
This morning we disembarked at the Manuel Antonio National Park with a very nice sunrise. We landed at one of the smallest national parks in Costa Rica that has an extension of approximately 1,800 hectares (4,320 acres). We enjoyed the beautiful views of the Cathedral Point Trail and also found some amazing mammals on the Sloth Valley trail. On this wonderful day we saw White faced Capuchin Monkeys (Cebus capicinus), Howler Monkeys (Alouatta paliata), Brown Throated Three toed Sloth (Bradipus variegates) and Hoffman’s Two Toed Sloth (Choloepus hoffmani), during our walk in this national park located on the Pacific side of Costa Rica.
The most beautiful sight that grabbed our attention during our stay in this national park was the presence of several Ridley Turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), making their first approach to the ocean, presenting us with one of the greatest miracles of nature.
We felt very lucky this morning to be able to admire this scene of initiation of life that these turtles displayed for us. It was a mixture of positive feelings that this whole spectacle transmitted to all of us during our stay at Manuel Antonio National Park.
In the afternoon we had a more relaxed time by the beach, but we left the park with the wonderful experience of having witnessed one of the most impressive moments of nature survival, and while sailing to our next destination, a considerable amount of Pan-tropical Spotted Dolphins (Stenella attenuate) swam next to our ship. What a wonderful way to end our day.
