Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica
This morning we woke up in another country, and for that matter in another world! We had left the gray cement of the Panama Canal four days ago, and just yesterday we were navigating the clearest blue waters in the Eastern Pacific for the best snorkeling day of the whole week; and today as we peeked out of our windows we were surrounded by deep green waters and lush dense forests. Within the Golfo Dulce – or Sweet Water Gulf – we are visiting two great and different habitats.
During the morning we explored the mangrove habitat which surrounds the Rio Esquinas. This river is located on the northwestern side of the gulf and offers the chance to go kayaking and taking a Zodiac cruise. Those people who chose to take a kayak into the mangrove estuary were rewarded with the great personal experience of communing with nature. Little crevices and crannies allow us to get close up and personal with the roots, animals and flowers that make a mangrove forest unique; but those who took the Zodiac cruise had the chance to go farther up the river to explore a larger area and yet another habitat – the gallery forest. Whatever trip we took, it was a fantastic morning for all.
We had to move the ship from the western side of the gulf into the eastern side, and as we cruised along, a group of very playful Pantropical spotted dolphins joined us along with a few yellow-bellied sea snakes. After repositioning the ship, we moved to an area called San Josecito where an American couple – the MacAlisters – have created an impressive botanical garden they named Casa Orquidea – the Orchid House. This name, I think, is rather misleading. People go there with the expectation of seeing orchids, and it is not just an orchid house, it is one of the best kept botanical gardens in the region, offering not only one family of plants, but a large array of plant families, bird life, insects and an occasional mammal. This afternoon we all partook of a great walk along the garden paths; a wild chance for the best photos of the week, and a good way to get ready for the next two days in the last country of our excursion.
This morning we woke up in another country, and for that matter in another world! We had left the gray cement of the Panama Canal four days ago, and just yesterday we were navigating the clearest blue waters in the Eastern Pacific for the best snorkeling day of the whole week; and today as we peeked out of our windows we were surrounded by deep green waters and lush dense forests. Within the Golfo Dulce – or Sweet Water Gulf – we are visiting two great and different habitats.
During the morning we explored the mangrove habitat which surrounds the Rio Esquinas. This river is located on the northwestern side of the gulf and offers the chance to go kayaking and taking a Zodiac cruise. Those people who chose to take a kayak into the mangrove estuary were rewarded with the great personal experience of communing with nature. Little crevices and crannies allow us to get close up and personal with the roots, animals and flowers that make a mangrove forest unique; but those who took the Zodiac cruise had the chance to go farther up the river to explore a larger area and yet another habitat – the gallery forest. Whatever trip we took, it was a fantastic morning for all.
We had to move the ship from the western side of the gulf into the eastern side, and as we cruised along, a group of very playful Pantropical spotted dolphins joined us along with a few yellow-bellied sea snakes. After repositioning the ship, we moved to an area called San Josecito where an American couple – the MacAlisters – have created an impressive botanical garden they named Casa Orquidea – the Orchid House. This name, I think, is rather misleading. People go there with the expectation of seeing orchids, and it is not just an orchid house, it is one of the best kept botanical gardens in the region, offering not only one family of plants, but a large array of plant families, bird life, insects and an occasional mammal. This afternoon we all partook of a great walk along the garden paths; a wild chance for the best photos of the week, and a good way to get ready for the next two days in the last country of our excursion.
