Islas Murcielagos, Costa Rica
We left our calm anchorage shortly after daybreak to make our way south a few miles to the Islas Murcielagos, a set of small islands and rocks pertaining to the Santa Rosa National Park off the Santa Elena peninsula. The sun was shining and the ocean was cobalt blue. Spotted dolphins showed up during breakfast and had us all looking out the windows as they leaped the wake next to us, showing their distinguishing spotted bodies in sleek action through the water.
The beach beckoned, and soon enough we were on shore and dividing into our chosen activities. Some of us chose the strenuous hike to the ridge for a spectacular look down steep grassy hillsides to crashing surf on the outside and quiet waters on the inside. The heat was pretty intense, and so a dip into the water was the preferred remedy. Others meanwhile had already dived into the sea with snorkels, masks and fins to explore the underwater world. Low tide, clear water conditions and virtually no discernable current had us floating over rocky ledges and small coral heads to see what came out to peer up at these large beings overhead. Damselfish, cornetfish, angelfish, eels, scorpionfish were just a few that ended up collected on our fish list for the day.
We were decidedly waterlogged by the time the hot sun was high above and time had come to move on to our next adventure. With the Lindblad Expeditions “Eye of Exploration” flag flying in the cooling breeze, we sailed south looking for marine life, and did we find it! Olive Ridley marine turtles were spotted several times, once allowing the Captain to do an about-turn for a second look. This was a pair of “double-decker” turtles, mating in preparation for egg laying later on… who knows, maybe tonight or next week, on some privately chosen beach under the waning moon. One of the sailfish species found in the region jumped out in magnificent leaps over a dozen times, and each splash back into the ocean was emphasized by our “oohs” and “ahhs.”
After lunch, one of the officers took off in a Zodiac with all our passports to pass through immigration procedures in preparation for leaving the country. This was our last day in Costa Rica, and the afternoon was spent exploring the tiny river estuary in Bahia Huevos. To the delight of everyone, the small river turned out a large troop of howlers. The sound emitted from the dark interior of the mangroves was eerie to say the least, but when around 24 individuals showed up, the mysterious turned to fascination. Such is life in the tropics when one is open to exploration and adventure.
We left our calm anchorage shortly after daybreak to make our way south a few miles to the Islas Murcielagos, a set of small islands and rocks pertaining to the Santa Rosa National Park off the Santa Elena peninsula. The sun was shining and the ocean was cobalt blue. Spotted dolphins showed up during breakfast and had us all looking out the windows as they leaped the wake next to us, showing their distinguishing spotted bodies in sleek action through the water.
The beach beckoned, and soon enough we were on shore and dividing into our chosen activities. Some of us chose the strenuous hike to the ridge for a spectacular look down steep grassy hillsides to crashing surf on the outside and quiet waters on the inside. The heat was pretty intense, and so a dip into the water was the preferred remedy. Others meanwhile had already dived into the sea with snorkels, masks and fins to explore the underwater world. Low tide, clear water conditions and virtually no discernable current had us floating over rocky ledges and small coral heads to see what came out to peer up at these large beings overhead. Damselfish, cornetfish, angelfish, eels, scorpionfish were just a few that ended up collected on our fish list for the day.
We were decidedly waterlogged by the time the hot sun was high above and time had come to move on to our next adventure. With the Lindblad Expeditions “Eye of Exploration” flag flying in the cooling breeze, we sailed south looking for marine life, and did we find it! Olive Ridley marine turtles were spotted several times, once allowing the Captain to do an about-turn for a second look. This was a pair of “double-decker” turtles, mating in preparation for egg laying later on… who knows, maybe tonight or next week, on some privately chosen beach under the waning moon. One of the sailfish species found in the region jumped out in magnificent leaps over a dozen times, and each splash back into the ocean was emphasized by our “oohs” and “ahhs.”
After lunch, one of the officers took off in a Zodiac with all our passports to pass through immigration procedures in preparation for leaving the country. This was our last day in Costa Rica, and the afternoon was spent exploring the tiny river estuary in Bahia Huevos. To the delight of everyone, the small river turned out a large troop of howlers. The sound emitted from the dark interior of the mangroves was eerie to say the least, but when around 24 individuals showed up, the mysterious turned to fascination. Such is life in the tropics when one is open to exploration and adventure.
