Punta Caletas Wildlife Refuge & Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Thanksgiving! I have had the opportunity to share the celebration of such an important occasion few times in my life. This was a very special one for me.
The forest on the Osa Peninsula is the one I like best. A pristine mature rainforest covers a large area on a relatively inaccessible piece of land.We saw Central American spider monkeys and slaty tailed trogons at the entrance of the trail in Caletas. During our walk we found three toed sloths and chestnut mandibled toucans. At the end, the white throated capuchins came to our station on the beach. Some people took the opportunity to horseback ride to Rio Claro, while others decided to enjoy the morning on the beach.
In the afternoon, we repositioned to Corcovado National Park to explore different trails. Monkeys, birds and crocodiles were seen. The mature forest rises more than 120 feet and the emergent trees are humbling giants that surpass 150 feet. While we were looking at a milk tree (Brosinum utile), a group of white nosed coatis were reaching the trail in search of food amongst the leaf litter and the rotten bark of a log. It seemed like an adult male had joined the group that usually consists of only females and their offspring. They paid very little attention to us and gave us a great display of their feeding habits. It was a special moment in the private life of the rainforest.
I am thankful for spending a wonderful day at the Osa with monkeys, birds and other animals. I am thankful to be able to call myself a tree hugger and spend a day in the most impressive forest in my country. I am thankful to be able to share these things with our guests, my colleagues and friends.
