Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica
We woke up this morning in another country. Costa Rica is the homeland of many of our staff and crew members and also the second nation we visit while on board the Sea Voyager. After we finished our customs paperwork to enter Costa Rica, we repositioned the ship towards the mouth of the Esquinas River, located on the western side of the Golfo Dulce. This gulf on the southernmost Pacific end of Costa Rica is rich with life and some of the most scenic landscape in the Central American region. Draping green vines, tall emergent trees, scarlet macaws, deep blue seas, and clear blue skies are the regular features of this particular site.
To visit the river we had two choices: Zodiac cruising or kayaking. The most adventurous ones decided to kayak up the estuary looking for wildlife on their own, which normally proves to be a great way to enjoy the wonders of the mangrove and gallery forests. Others chose the Zodiacs, which normally can cover a lot more ground plus include a naturalist which will allow not only spotting, but also interpretation. Our outing proved quite positive on the birding side and very positive on the scenery and satisfaction side.
Later in the afternoon, we moved the ship towards the northeast side of the gulf and disembarked into the botanical garden called Casa Orquidea. This amazing place, owned by Ron and Trudy McAlister, is one of the most luring places within the gulf. This garden is not just a garden; it is one of the ultimate sites to learn about different types of habitats in the wet lowland forest as well as the different types of plants associated with them.
Coming back to the ship, we could not help but wonder what it would be like to live like the McAlisters have been doing for the last 30 years
We woke up this morning in another country. Costa Rica is the homeland of many of our staff and crew members and also the second nation we visit while on board the Sea Voyager. After we finished our customs paperwork to enter Costa Rica, we repositioned the ship towards the mouth of the Esquinas River, located on the western side of the Golfo Dulce. This gulf on the southernmost Pacific end of Costa Rica is rich with life and some of the most scenic landscape in the Central American region. Draping green vines, tall emergent trees, scarlet macaws, deep blue seas, and clear blue skies are the regular features of this particular site.
To visit the river we had two choices: Zodiac cruising or kayaking. The most adventurous ones decided to kayak up the estuary looking for wildlife on their own, which normally proves to be a great way to enjoy the wonders of the mangrove and gallery forests. Others chose the Zodiacs, which normally can cover a lot more ground plus include a naturalist which will allow not only spotting, but also interpretation. Our outing proved quite positive on the birding side and very positive on the scenery and satisfaction side.
Later in the afternoon, we moved the ship towards the northeast side of the gulf and disembarked into the botanical garden called Casa Orquidea. This amazing place, owned by Ron and Trudy McAlister, is one of the most luring places within the gulf. This garden is not just a garden; it is one of the ultimate sites to learn about different types of habitats in the wet lowland forest as well as the different types of plants associated with them.
Coming back to the ship, we could not help but wonder what it would be like to live like the McAlisters have been doing for the last 30 years
