Manuel Antonio & Isla del Caño National Parks
Our first morning of explorations aboard the Sea Voyager takes us to Manuel Antonio National Park, a jewel in Costa Rica’s impressive national park system. With some 7000 acres, this is one of the smallest parks in the country. In Manuel Antonio, medium sized mammals have a demographic explosion and are abundant, as large predators need large areas to exist, we would not find any large predators. This fact allows us to experience a close encounter with multiple species of medium sized mammals, and just in a few hours we sighted the following: two and three toed sloths, mantled-howler monkeys, white-throated capuccin monkeys, and the really rare Central American squirrel not to mention many species of birds. Manuel Antonio could be considered an island of biodiversity where many species of animals are protected, a small jewel closely protected by the effort of Costa Ricans.
In the afternoon we visited Isla del Cano National Park, an island located about 12 miles offshore the mainland of Costa Rica, once the home of a pre-Columbian culture about which not much is known. There some of us opted for snorkeling and others for an afternoon of relaxing at the beach, colorful species of fish were there to receive us at the snorkeling point such as the blunt-headed triggerfish, Moorish idol, guinea-fowl puffer fish, and even a white-tipped reef shark were some of the curious fish that came out checking out the newcomers.
Tonight I go to bed content to have seen again the Central American squirrel monkeys, wondering what the future has in store for these little acrobats of Manuel Antonio National Park. At the same time I wonder what the future has in store for us on our journey aboard the Sea Voyager.
Our first morning of explorations aboard the Sea Voyager takes us to Manuel Antonio National Park, a jewel in Costa Rica’s impressive national park system. With some 7000 acres, this is one of the smallest parks in the country. In Manuel Antonio, medium sized mammals have a demographic explosion and are abundant, as large predators need large areas to exist, we would not find any large predators. This fact allows us to experience a close encounter with multiple species of medium sized mammals, and just in a few hours we sighted the following: two and three toed sloths, mantled-howler monkeys, white-throated capuccin monkeys, and the really rare Central American squirrel not to mention many species of birds. Manuel Antonio could be considered an island of biodiversity where many species of animals are protected, a small jewel closely protected by the effort of Costa Ricans.
In the afternoon we visited Isla del Cano National Park, an island located about 12 miles offshore the mainland of Costa Rica, once the home of a pre-Columbian culture about which not much is known. There some of us opted for snorkeling and others for an afternoon of relaxing at the beach, colorful species of fish were there to receive us at the snorkeling point such as the blunt-headed triggerfish, Moorish idol, guinea-fowl puffer fish, and even a white-tipped reef shark were some of the curious fish that came out checking out the newcomers.
Tonight I go to bed content to have seen again the Central American squirrel monkeys, wondering what the future has in store for these little acrobats of Manuel Antonio National Park. At the same time I wonder what the future has in store for us on our journey aboard the Sea Voyager.
