Today National Geographic Quest arrived at the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica, considered one of the biodiversity hot spots of the country and one of the most pristine tropical rainforests in all of Central America.

After landing at the beautiful private preserve at Caletas Beach, several hikes took place. Some decided to hike with the Pacific Ocean on one side and the forest on the other, while others decided on an adventurous walk inside the preserve. For those that wanted a bit more adventure, a horseback ride along the pristine edge of this amazing paradise was available. Spider and howler monkeys, scarlet macaws, two species of trogons, and several others beautiful birds were seen.

In the afternoon we visited Corcovado National Park, where we had the opportunity to hike along the riverside of the waterfall trail, and many of us got into the waterfall pool. A great and refreshing reward! To our surprise we saw spider monkeys again, and on the way back to the ship we spotted more wildlife, including white-throated capuchin monkeys.

We had a terrific first day in one of the wonders of Costa Rica, and it wouldn’t be complete without an amazing sunset. It even offered the opportunity to see the optical phenomena called the green flash!