Golfito, Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica
We left Panama, my home, behind, but nature has no political boundary. We woke up this morning in Costa Rica in what I call my favorite forest: the wet tropical rainforest of Golfo Dulce. Here the high mountains that run from western Panama to central Costa Rica completely block the prevailing north winds. In other places, the little humidity that the Pacific Ocean releases is swept out over the water. Here, this natural barrier allows the humidity to create clouds and rain that make this place look similar to, or more humid than, the Caribbean forest. This has resulted in a completely different forest on this section of the Pacific slope of Central America.
This highly humid environment offers habitat to species of animals and plants that can’t survive a strong dry season. The isolation created by the dry forest found more to the west and north of this forest, has let evolutionary rules come out with new species that are restricted to this unique area. The competition for resources such as water, light or nutrients drives evolution in many directions.
On our first day in Costa Rica we explored the forest around the town of Golfito, once the headquarters of the United Fruit Company in Costa Rica. We went to Zamia Trail, a community based project, and some of us saw the elusive white-lipped peccaries, a female great curassow, and the spectacular bivouac of the army ants made by a giant cluster of the ants themselves. During the afternoon we went to Casa Orquideas, spectacular gardens where we rejoiced our eyes with the bizarre arrangements and colors of tropical plants from this extremely humid tropical rainforest.
The last Zodiac of the evening arrived under the first drops of a strong rain that reminded us that nature is still the power source that moves everything here.
We left Panama, my home, behind, but nature has no political boundary. We woke up this morning in Costa Rica in what I call my favorite forest: the wet tropical rainforest of Golfo Dulce. Here the high mountains that run from western Panama to central Costa Rica completely block the prevailing north winds. In other places, the little humidity that the Pacific Ocean releases is swept out over the water. Here, this natural barrier allows the humidity to create clouds and rain that make this place look similar to, or more humid than, the Caribbean forest. This has resulted in a completely different forest on this section of the Pacific slope of Central America.
This highly humid environment offers habitat to species of animals and plants that can’t survive a strong dry season. The isolation created by the dry forest found more to the west and north of this forest, has let evolutionary rules come out with new species that are restricted to this unique area. The competition for resources such as water, light or nutrients drives evolution in many directions.
On our first day in Costa Rica we explored the forest around the town of Golfito, once the headquarters of the United Fruit Company in Costa Rica. We went to Zamia Trail, a community based project, and some of us saw the elusive white-lipped peccaries, a female great curassow, and the spectacular bivouac of the army ants made by a giant cluster of the ants themselves. During the afternoon we went to Casa Orquideas, spectacular gardens where we rejoiced our eyes with the bizarre arrangements and colors of tropical plants from this extremely humid tropical rainforest.
The last Zodiac of the evening arrived under the first drops of a strong rain that reminded us that nature is still the power source that moves everything here.
