Golfo Dulce, Casa Orquidea & Golfito Area
It was our last day in Costa Rica, and we couldn’t wait to see the rain forest located along the coast of Golfo Dulce, the largest gulf in Costa Rica. We were in search of the tropical wildlife that has given this county a great reputation among nature lovers around the world. Costa Rica has set apart more than one quarter of its territory for conservation in its national park service.
Casa Orquidea Botanical Garden was our early destination for nature walks. In a matter of minutes we were exposed to spectacular birding, among the highlights were a White hawk, a group of Chestnut-mandibled Toucans and a couple of Scarlet Macaws that kept flying around the gardens all morning long. One of our groups spotted Tent Making Bats that were hidden under the “tent” that they made by chewing part of the venations of a big leave to make it fold down, so they could hide from predators during the day.
Many different habitats are contained within the gulf, including lowland rain forests, swamp forests, mangroves, beaches and rivers. After lunch, the National Geographic Sea Lion repositioned to the smallest gulf within Golfo Dulce: Golfito
Golfito is a port town and was a busy center for banana exportation when the “Bananera Company”, a subsidiary of United Fruit, was operating in the area from 1938 to 1985; Golfito was the company’s main headquarters. In the mean time, kayaks and Zodiacs were put on the calm waters and our guests went to explore the wilderness that surrounds Golfito. All this beautiful rain forest is protected by different wildlife refuges and private reserves.
Different species of mangrove trees were pointed out by our naturalist. Some migratory North American shore birds were seen, including spotted sandpipers, little blue herons and snowy egrets, among others including a peregrine falcon. But above all, we enjoyed the White-faced Monkeys and the Howler Monkeys up on the trees looking for a place to spend the night.
We all are ready to travel to Panama and enjoy the natural wonders that this beautiful country is saving for us.
