Manuel Antonio and Curu, Costa Rica
Time flies on the Sea Voyager. It seems only yesterday, that we departed the port of Balboa in Panama. The array of experiences has been very intense and still today we have been amazed by the wildlife in Manuel Antonio. This small National Park holds a wonderful density of monkeys and other medium-sized mammals. It also supports a large human community that struggles to find a smart sustainable development of nature-oriented tourism, preserving and regenerating biological corridors for future generations.
A white nosed coati was foraging in the litter and it paid very little attention to the photographers. Within two hundred yards, we saw white-throated capuchins, mantled howler monkeys, Central American squirrel monkeys, three-toed and two-toed sloths.
The spiny-tailed iguanas and the yellow-crowned night heron were closer to the beach as we headed back to the ship and weighed anchor to cruise to Curu Wildlife Refuge. Gustavo Abarca gave a great lecture on the history of Costa Rica and after lunch the eagle rays entertained us jumping into the air.
We reached the Refuge to enjoy our last forest visit of the week. The dry forest is an endangered environment that finds protection at the Southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula.
Serious environmental programs of reintroduction of animals to their natural habitat take place in this wonderful place.
Today Nature made sure that each one of us enjoyed seeing the monkeys and the macaws, the termites and the cicadas.
Time flies on the Sea Voyager. It seems only yesterday, that we departed the port of Balboa in Panama. The array of experiences has been very intense and still today we have been amazed by the wildlife in Manuel Antonio. This small National Park holds a wonderful density of monkeys and other medium-sized mammals. It also supports a large human community that struggles to find a smart sustainable development of nature-oriented tourism, preserving and regenerating biological corridors for future generations.
A white nosed coati was foraging in the litter and it paid very little attention to the photographers. Within two hundred yards, we saw white-throated capuchins, mantled howler monkeys, Central American squirrel monkeys, three-toed and two-toed sloths.
The spiny-tailed iguanas and the yellow-crowned night heron were closer to the beach as we headed back to the ship and weighed anchor to cruise to Curu Wildlife Refuge. Gustavo Abarca gave a great lecture on the history of Costa Rica and after lunch the eagle rays entertained us jumping into the air.
We reached the Refuge to enjoy our last forest visit of the week. The dry forest is an endangered environment that finds protection at the Southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula.
Serious environmental programs of reintroduction of animals to their natural habitat take place in this wonderful place.
Today Nature made sure that each one of us enjoyed seeing the monkeys and the macaws, the termites and the cicadas.
