Just before sunrise, the National Geographic Sea Lion pulled into the dock at Golfito—our first stop in Costa Rica. The crew quickly offloaded and loaded on supplies, the engineers hooked up the potable water hose, and the purser met with officials to stamp passports and welcome us into Costa Rica. Once completed, we dropped lines, pulled away from the dock, and sailed a short distance for our second stop in Golfo Dulce, Casa Orquideas. This beautiful property was developed over the last 30 years by expat owners Trudy and Ron McAllister, who landed here after years of travel and decided to stay and raise their family. Accessible by boat only, it is a stunning example of beauty, hard work, and resourcefulness. The McAllisters grow a profusion of orchids as well as other tropical flowers, fruit trees, and other vegetation. The result is attractive to birds, insects, and mammals alike—including humans. As we stepped out of expedition landing crafts onto the pebble beach we were greeted by the melodious yet mournful cries of toucans, as well as the sharp bark and tail-wagging of resident dog Spike.
People divided up into groups to walk with the naturalists, or wandered on their own. In addition to a variety of bird species including manakins, honey creepers, parrots, and screeching macaws, a highlight for many people were the numerous toucans, especially one toucan busily eating a papaya. Though known for their fruit-eating (as made famous by Fruit Loops cereal), toucans actually have quite a diverse diet, able to prey on many types of foods—including lizards and frogs—with their long serrated and dexterous bill. Their unique shape and vibrant colors make them a joy to watch.
Once people had taken their fill of the garden oasis, the beach and water awaited. Kids took off with the Bosun for expedition landing craft driving lessons, while others took to the water to cool off from the heat and humidity. Naturalist Maguil again had an impromptu coconut-opening class, culminating in refreshing coconut milk. Bravo, and yum!
While we ate lunch back onboard, the ship repositioned to our third and final destination in Golfo Dulce, the mangroves at the far end near the mouth of Rio Esquinos. Here we brought out the kayaks and expedition landing crafts to explore this unique ecosystem and search for wildlife, especially birds. A few guests walked the nearby private property of Saladero Reserve, while a handful stayed onboard for some R&R. Once back onboard in the late afternoon, the humidity that had been building all day let loose in thunderous claps and showers. This concluded in an amazingly colorful sunset of rich hues of orange, pink, red. Wow, what an amazing introduction to Costa Rica!
