Punta Sal, Honduras
The name for the protected little bay we woke up in this morning is Bahia Escondida, making a reference to a “hideout,” either from the weather or from pursuers. It is said this same bay was referred to by pirates as Sal si Puedes – “Get out when you can.” We were glad to have the option of getting into the protective arms of the bay and exploring the Punta Sal Wildlife Preserve, also known as “Jeanette Kawas National Park.”
Our explorations were productive from the start. For those out on deck before breakfast, mantled howler monkeys could be heard, their calls reverberating through the forest and across the bay. Once we reached terra firma, which in some places was more terra squishy, we had the option of exploring the forest in a slow, deliberate fashion. We share with you now our eclectic findings: an owl butterfly, its cryptic markings blending seamlessly with the background of its buttress root perch, it’s presence given away by a slight flutter of motion and its wide-eyed wing patch marking. Spiny-backed spiders wearing polka dotted kites on their backs, suspended from silk strings between banana stalks. Tracks of agouti and raccoons imprinted in the black sticky mud along our forest pathway. Two troops of mantled howler monkeys, at least a dozen, lounging in the forest canopy; as we focused on one of the larger shadowed figures, we found three faces staring back with mild curiosity.
Before reaching the beach Cindy noted some odd twigs amongst the bright green foliage, she had interloped on a pair of mating walking sticks; they ignored her and the rest of our attentions and continued with their own agenda. Along the opposite shore we followed in the footsteps of raccoons which had explored the beach earlier in the morning, we preserved these tracks in plaster and took them back to the Sea Lion to share with our fellow explorers. The raccoons had not been alone; great blue heron tracks, as big as your hand, iguana tail drag marks and crab tracks inscribed the signatures of other wildlife visitations. Some walkers had the brief glimpse of an agouti, foraging in the forest litter, perhaps for cohune nuts, a favorite morsel. As we returned to our landing site, a turtle was found on the trail. A shy, white-lipped mud turtle (Kinosternon leucostomum), graced with a perpetual smile, which we were able to temporarily coax out of the protection of his mobile home. Our turtle discovery is the photograph we share with you today.
The name for the protected little bay we woke up in this morning is Bahia Escondida, making a reference to a “hideout,” either from the weather or from pursuers. It is said this same bay was referred to by pirates as Sal si Puedes – “Get out when you can.” We were glad to have the option of getting into the protective arms of the bay and exploring the Punta Sal Wildlife Preserve, also known as “Jeanette Kawas National Park.”
Our explorations were productive from the start. For those out on deck before breakfast, mantled howler monkeys could be heard, their calls reverberating through the forest and across the bay. Once we reached terra firma, which in some places was more terra squishy, we had the option of exploring the forest in a slow, deliberate fashion. We share with you now our eclectic findings: an owl butterfly, its cryptic markings blending seamlessly with the background of its buttress root perch, it’s presence given away by a slight flutter of motion and its wide-eyed wing patch marking. Spiny-backed spiders wearing polka dotted kites on their backs, suspended from silk strings between banana stalks. Tracks of agouti and raccoons imprinted in the black sticky mud along our forest pathway. Two troops of mantled howler monkeys, at least a dozen, lounging in the forest canopy; as we focused on one of the larger shadowed figures, we found three faces staring back with mild curiosity.
Before reaching the beach Cindy noted some odd twigs amongst the bright green foliage, she had interloped on a pair of mating walking sticks; they ignored her and the rest of our attentions and continued with their own agenda. Along the opposite shore we followed in the footsteps of raccoons which had explored the beach earlier in the morning, we preserved these tracks in plaster and took them back to the Sea Lion to share with our fellow explorers. The raccoons had not been alone; great blue heron tracks, as big as your hand, iguana tail drag marks and crab tracks inscribed the signatures of other wildlife visitations. Some walkers had the brief glimpse of an agouti, foraging in the forest litter, perhaps for cohune nuts, a favorite morsel. As we returned to our landing site, a turtle was found on the trail. A shy, white-lipped mud turtle (Kinosternon leucostomum), graced with a perpetual smile, which we were able to temporarily coax out of the protection of his mobile home. Our turtle discovery is the photograph we share with you today.
