Casa Orquideas and Corcovado National Park
Today was another day in paradise. We started off with a visit to a botanical garden on the edge of Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica. This garden, Casa Orquideas, harbors an array of orchids and tropical plants situated for easy observation along level trails. Many of the orchids were in bloom and the owners were in residence. Among the plants were flycatchers, tanagers, parrots, hummingbirds, and a great curassow. Both great kiskadee and tropical kingbirds were building nests.
After boarding the Sea Voyager, lamenting that we didn’t have several days to spend at Casa Orquideas, we motored along the mainland coast to Corcovado National Park. Along the way we were entertained by bottle-nosed dolphins, yellow-bellied sea snakes, black terns, and brown boobies. The yellow-bellied sea snake (pelagic sea snake) has been seen by the dozens over the past two days. Most of the individuals that we have seen have a yellow base color and have rather broad vertical stripes. Some are darker-backed and yellow bellied, more like the books show, but most are quite bright and tiger-striped.
Indoor entertainment and education was provided by Dr. Katherine Hagedorn (Associate Professor of Music, Pomona College, Claremont, CA) on musical soundscapes and rhythmic structures of Afro-Cuban folkloric and popular songs.
The late afternoon was spent exploring the magnificent Corcovado National Park. This is an area of undisturbed tropical forest with magnificent wildlife populations. We saw coatis, howler and capuchin monkeys, and tamandua; in addition to chestnut-mandibled toucan, scarlet macaw, and boat-billed heron. The landing spot at Corcovado was the quintessential tropical setting with white beach, aqua-green water, lava rocks, sea grape, and coconut palms.
It was a wonderful day for birders, travelers, photographers, and walkers. The air was soft the scenery spectacular and the wildlife most cooperative.
Today was another day in paradise. We started off with a visit to a botanical garden on the edge of Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica. This garden, Casa Orquideas, harbors an array of orchids and tropical plants situated for easy observation along level trails. Many of the orchids were in bloom and the owners were in residence. Among the plants were flycatchers, tanagers, parrots, hummingbirds, and a great curassow. Both great kiskadee and tropical kingbirds were building nests.
After boarding the Sea Voyager, lamenting that we didn’t have several days to spend at Casa Orquideas, we motored along the mainland coast to Corcovado National Park. Along the way we were entertained by bottle-nosed dolphins, yellow-bellied sea snakes, black terns, and brown boobies. The yellow-bellied sea snake (pelagic sea snake) has been seen by the dozens over the past two days. Most of the individuals that we have seen have a yellow base color and have rather broad vertical stripes. Some are darker-backed and yellow bellied, more like the books show, but most are quite bright and tiger-striped.
Indoor entertainment and education was provided by Dr. Katherine Hagedorn (Associate Professor of Music, Pomona College, Claremont, CA) on musical soundscapes and rhythmic structures of Afro-Cuban folkloric and popular songs.
The late afternoon was spent exploring the magnificent Corcovado National Park. This is an area of undisturbed tropical forest with magnificent wildlife populations. We saw coatis, howler and capuchin monkeys, and tamandua; in addition to chestnut-mandibled toucan, scarlet macaw, and boat-billed heron. The landing spot at Corcovado was the quintessential tropical setting with white beach, aqua-green water, lava rocks, sea grape, and coconut palms.
It was a wonderful day for birders, travelers, photographers, and walkers. The air was soft the scenery spectacular and the wildlife most cooperative.
