Manuel Antonio National Park and Drake Bay
Welcome aboard! Our first day on a trip that will last a week and take us through a series of national parks on two countries, Costa Rica and Panama, that have joined efforts in conservation. Today’s journey started with a visit to the jewel of Costa Rica Pacifical Coast series of Natural Parks, Manuel Antonio National Park.
Manuel Antonio is the smallest and most popular of national parks in Costa Rica, with 1600 hectares, this national park is so popular that they had to put a limit on the quantity of visitors they will take every day (800 people). And guess what? By noontime the park will have met that limit. We went ashore very early in the morning and, because of this, we had most of the park to ourselves. The visit paid off almost as soon as we got there with the sighting of a Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth, one of two species of sloths we can find in Panama and Costa Rica. With its nocturnal habits, the sighting was particularly rewarding. We also saw other mammal species like the white-nosed coati, mantled howler monkey, the white-faced capuchin monkey, and the Central American squirrel monkey (today’s photo). And we also birds like the fiery-billed aracari, golden-naped woodpecker and reptiles like the ctenosaur (black spiny iguana).
Today’s picture of the Central American squirrel monkey is a species found only in Cost Rica and Panama. Fortunately, Costa Rica has one of the healthiest populations of this primate, considered the most endangered species in Central America. What an opportunity to see up close and personal a species that’s considered in such danger of disappearing.
We enjoyed an afternoon on a beach known as San Josecito Beach, just relaxing, swimming and snorkeling. Not a bad way to start our trip!
Welcome aboard! Our first day on a trip that will last a week and take us through a series of national parks on two countries, Costa Rica and Panama, that have joined efforts in conservation. Today’s journey started with a visit to the jewel of Costa Rica Pacifical Coast series of Natural Parks, Manuel Antonio National Park.
Manuel Antonio is the smallest and most popular of national parks in Costa Rica, with 1600 hectares, this national park is so popular that they had to put a limit on the quantity of visitors they will take every day (800 people). And guess what? By noontime the park will have met that limit. We went ashore very early in the morning and, because of this, we had most of the park to ourselves. The visit paid off almost as soon as we got there with the sighting of a Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth, one of two species of sloths we can find in Panama and Costa Rica. With its nocturnal habits, the sighting was particularly rewarding. We also saw other mammal species like the white-nosed coati, mantled howler monkey, the white-faced capuchin monkey, and the Central American squirrel monkey (today’s photo). And we also birds like the fiery-billed aracari, golden-naped woodpecker and reptiles like the ctenosaur (black spiny iguana).
Today’s picture of the Central American squirrel monkey is a species found only in Cost Rica and Panama. Fortunately, Costa Rica has one of the healthiest populations of this primate, considered the most endangered species in Central America. What an opportunity to see up close and personal a species that’s considered in such danger of disappearing.
We enjoyed an afternoon on a beach known as San Josecito Beach, just relaxing, swimming and snorkeling. Not a bad way to start our trip!
