Manuel Antonio National Park
Shortly after sunrise this morning, National Geographic Sea Lion made her way into the waters off Espadilla Sur at Manuel Antonio National Park. Our visit to this small national park offered a great introduction to the tropical rain forest of Costa Rica. We explored the steep and muddy circular trail of Punta Cathedral, the wider more rocky paths of Sloth Valley, and the gorgeous white-sand beaches of the coastline. Que rica! What richness of plants and animal species make up this lush forest. On this first day we began to see and learn about the various strategies utilized to survive in such a densely packed area.
Creatures we encountered: a crocodile swimming at our landing beach (we kept a close eye because we also were swimming at our landing beach!), howler monkeys, white-faced capuchin monkeys, crab-eating raccoons, agoutis, two- and three-toed sloths, spectacled caiman, coati, blue morpho butterflies, several species of frogs, snakes, lizards, iguanas, toucans, vultures and many more.
The perfect finish to our morning: refreshing swims and napping on the beach.
In the afternoon, we cruised south and came upon a huge pod of pan-tropical spotted dolphins. Each time a dolphin leapt into the air my heart leapt with joy at the thrill of these intelligent muscular animals moving through the water and air seamlessly, with such grace. Other treats for those on deck were sea turtles and brown-footed boobies. Somehow the Natural History Staff also packed in an informative introductory photo talk, and an overview of the political/economic history of Costa Rica. Is it possible this all happened in one day?! At this moment we are cruising to Drake Bay where National Geographic Sea Lion will anchor for a peaceful night. Dolces Suenos.
