We awakened on our first day aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion to a beautiful sunrise. The ship rocked to and fro as people gathered on the bridge deck aft for light exercise before breakfast. We got an early start this morning to visit one of the smallest yet most visited of the national parks, Manuel Antonio. And WOW! – what a scene. The ship anchored in the bay just off Playa Espadilla, staff set up a beach station with chairs, water and foot towels, and we zipped along the water in expedition landing crafts for our first wet landing ashore on a gorgeous half-moon cove of sandy beach. The dumping surf waves were child’s play for our expert local drivers Eric and Henry.
Our first focus of the morning was introductory walks into the rainforest. Longer walkers took the Cathedral Trail, affectionately referred to as the “tropical stair-master” by our expedition leader. The other popular trail – Sloth Valley – is named for the two- and three-toed sloths who inhabit the area and are commonly seen here. The sloths were other-worldly to watch.
It was hot and humid under the canopy, and teeming with life. Since sun and water are abundant here, the competitive element for plants is space, and for animals, food. Soon after entering the trail there was a scraping noise in the underbrush on the left. A closer look revealed the small South American rodent agouti, gnawing on a palm seed. Further up the trail we heard rustling of leaves from above, and upon looking saw the branches swaying. Monkeys! The white-faced capuchin monkeys swung down pretty close to the trail. We suspected they might be looking to hijack breakfast. As we continued on, various rustlings along the trail revealed small lizards. And high up, an iguana crawled down the trunk of a tree and displayed for us (well, not for us – probably nearby there was a female or another competing male). The signature sound of howler monkeys beckoned us deeper along the trail, and we were fortunate to come across a troop of them.
Returning from walks, many people refreshed themselves with a dip in the ocean. We returned to the ship for lunch and a break, and then shuttles brought people back to the beach in the afternoon for more swimming, beach combing and trail walking. Late in the afternoon we convened in the lounge for snorkel/kayak/paddle-board briefings and picked up snorkel gear. At this writing the sun is dipping close to the horizon line, and we are beginning to gather again in the lounge for cocktails and recap. What a glorious introduction to Costa Rica!
