Golfo Dulce & Casa Orquideas
Our day on board the National Geographic Sea Lion started exceptionally early and in a quite unusual way. The Pacific Ocean’s twitchy waters brought us a unique experience of life and death. A genuine human odyssey extended beyond the scope of our journey while the majority of us rested comfortably in the privacy of our rooms.
The ship alarm was activated while the Captain announced one of the most feared emergencies explained during the mandatory drill: “man overboard.” He was clear to mention that they were not from our ship! The men about to be rescued by the National Geographic Sea Lion had survived a boat wreck three days before and had since struggled for their lives against all odds. Dehydration, sunburn, exhausted muscles, hopeless attempts to reach the coast and the inevitable feeling of defeat could have been enough to give up.
We all learned a lot from life this night, but a couple of Costar Rican people – father and son – did learn about unconditional solidarity and profuse care and respect. The titanic efforts to find more stranded survivors came from every crew member as well as the officers on board the National Geographic Sea Lion. Not everyone was sleeping of course! The officers at the bridge were awake and attentive enough to discover some human bodies floating in the midst of the dark sea around the ship at 1:30 a.m. Three men were found but unfortunately only two still alive. The strength of love between father and son kept them going, but the end was dangerously close when the National Geographic Sea Lion rescued them. Some hours earlier, the father had given his own life vest for someone else to survive while he also gave his last “good bye” to his son asking him to live for him! The National Geographic Sea Lion helped change the headlines on the news next morning. Two lives were saved while one body was retrieved for a sorrowed family to provide a decorous funeral.
Do miracles happen today? I may not have the answer but Earnie, the younger of the two men rescued, believes he does when he told me the following words: “….I am sure it was the end. My father had left and I had lost all hope to save my life until I saw a bright light coming my way. It was God answering our prayers.”
Nevertheless, our guests who had been extremely understanding of the situation were also ready to continue our planned activities for the day. The Zodiac exploration of exceptionally beautiful mangroves enhanced our expedition just before lunch time. Then we repositioned to an almost unreal chunk of paradise. Casa Orquideas was a real treat this afternoon and our guests had the chance for a dip in the soothing waters.
Afterwards, our party split in smaller groups to cover these magnificent botanical gardens. Multicolored birds, incredibly beautiful flowers and the warm welcome of owners Ron and Trudy combined for a very pleasant time in profound communion with nature.
Our guests came back and prepared for cocktails and recaps in the lounge while the galley prepared a culinary surprise with the Costar Rican Typical Night. Great food with the unmistakable flavor of salsa Lizano awaited us in the dining room. As a grand finale, one of our naturalists on board prepared a special presentation utilizing sophisticated equipment on board the National Geographic Sea Lion. Our video microscope permitted an unexpected glance at microscopic life in the rain forest. Good night!
