Manuel Antonio National Park & Curú Wildlife Refuge, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
There are many intense and precious moments that reinforce our appreciation of nature. During our walk to Punta Catedral and Sloth Valley we witnessed nature’s ability to recreate its environment. About 3 weeks ago there was an estimated 7-9 inches of rain in 3 days. This represents one tenth of the average rainfall for the area per year. Certainly, the wildlife of this area suffered the consequences. A few collapsed trees opened light gaps, and small landslides and flash floods eroded the river basins. Nevertheless, nature has mysterious ways of returning to normality.
A black vulture grooming a crested caracara was our first sighting on the trail. Unbelievable! A rare interaction that none of us had ever seen in our lives. Spiny tailed and green iguanas basked under the precious sun, two-toed and three-toed sloths emerged from the branches looking for a perfect post to feed or rest. Central American agoutis, tree frogs, land crabs and white-throated capuchin monkeys were also observed during our walks.
After a refreshing swim we repositioned the National Geographic Sea Lion to the southern tip of the Nicoya peninsula. Curú wildlife refuge is a private reserve that protects several ecosystems, including mangroves, riparian forest and the specially endangered tropical deciduous forest. The call of mantled howler monkeys echoed through the woods a few meters ahead on the trail, and then a large troop delighted us with their presence.
We finished our week celebrating life with new friends, hoping to preserve this spectacular place for younger generations.
