Manuel Antonio National Park & At Sea
An early start got us into Manuel Antonio National Park not long after sunrise. A soft landing on the beach got us under the edge of the forest, and soon enough we were off. I accompanied Julio on today’s journey along the paths of this highly valued fragment of tropical wet forest, half-way between rainforest and dry forest. Most of our group chose to tackle the ups and downs of Cathedral Point, and were, in fact, rewarded for their efforts with wildlife sightings of agoutis and mantled howler monkeys. Those of us who had chosen to follow “sloth Valley” were not disappointed either. This small enclosed park has a higher than usual population of the medium-sized mammals of tropical rainforests because their predators, the large carnivores, cannot survive in such a small space. As a consequence, our visit today was spectacular in the number of mammal species seen. Not at all normal, and something we have to remind ourselves of when next we enter a rainforest, in order to avoid disappointment and unreal expectations. But today, the world was ours. Umpteen sloths hung out along the road, howler monkeys were found because they had left a pungent odor underneath their resting spot. A hummingbird nest was found thank to Ben’s sharp eyes, and two grey-necked wood rails called out a piercing duet right next to us, and yet we couldn’t seen them.
On the return to the landing area, white-faced capuchin monkeys stole the show (and probably someone’s lunch as well). They descended to the ground to run around, back and forth, placing themselves right at eye level for us.
The last group back arrived with shining eyes to speak of seeing a troop of squirrel monkeys leaping across the path; somewhere else raccoons played.
Our afternoon was spent on the search for marine mammals, which we found in the shape of the pantropical spotted dolphins. A few juveniles came close enough to watch as they approached the bow briefly. Other kept their distance, but leaped high as if to get a better look.
Snorkeling and kayak briefings were followed by the distribution of equipment, then a presentation by our National Geographic representative Nalini Nadkarni who spoke of her research in the canopies of rainforest around the world. A totally foreign environment for most, but second-nature for this tree-climbing specialist!
Sunset burned in the west while puffy white clouds turned rose as it set.
An early start got us into Manuel Antonio National Park not long after sunrise. A soft landing on the beach got us under the edge of the forest, and soon enough we were off. I accompanied Julio on today’s journey along the paths of this highly valued fragment of tropical wet forest, half-way between rainforest and dry forest. Most of our group chose to tackle the ups and downs of Cathedral Point, and were, in fact, rewarded for their efforts with wildlife sightings of agoutis and mantled howler monkeys. Those of us who had chosen to follow “sloth Valley” were not disappointed either. This small enclosed park has a higher than usual population of the medium-sized mammals of tropical rainforests because their predators, the large carnivores, cannot survive in such a small space. As a consequence, our visit today was spectacular in the number of mammal species seen. Not at all normal, and something we have to remind ourselves of when next we enter a rainforest, in order to avoid disappointment and unreal expectations. But today, the world was ours. Umpteen sloths hung out along the road, howler monkeys were found because they had left a pungent odor underneath their resting spot. A hummingbird nest was found thank to Ben’s sharp eyes, and two grey-necked wood rails called out a piercing duet right next to us, and yet we couldn’t seen them.
On the return to the landing area, white-faced capuchin monkeys stole the show (and probably someone’s lunch as well). They descended to the ground to run around, back and forth, placing themselves right at eye level for us.
The last group back arrived with shining eyes to speak of seeing a troop of squirrel monkeys leaping across the path; somewhere else raccoons played.
Our afternoon was spent on the search for marine mammals, which we found in the shape of the pantropical spotted dolphins. A few juveniles came close enough to watch as they approached the bow briefly. Other kept their distance, but leaped high as if to get a better look.
Snorkeling and kayak briefings were followed by the distribution of equipment, then a presentation by our National Geographic representative Nalini Nadkarni who spoke of her research in the canopies of rainforest around the world. A totally foreign environment for most, but second-nature for this tree-climbing specialist!
Sunset burned in the west while puffy white clouds turned rose as it set.
