Corcovado National Park
The morning found us going ashore for some excursions at our morning destination: “Caletas Beach,” near by the Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula. Several nature walks were taken, and among the rich wildlife observed were wild peccaries, three-toed Sloth (a mother with its offspring on her breast), two different snakes (a vine-snake and a bird snake) and tropical and colorful birds, like Chestnut-billed Toucans, ant birds and woodcreepers. Back to the picnic area, we were amazed by the bright blue color of the morpho butterflies flying gracefully along the gardens.
We went swimming in the ocean by the pretty beach, while the barbecue lunch was being set. Right after lunch, we had a chance to go back to the Sea Voyager and take a nap, while the captain repositioned the ship to our afternoon destination: Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula. The only access to this particular area (San Pedrillo Park Ranger Station) is by boat, and it has retained its wild atmosphere of untouched rain forest.
The biological richness of the Osa Peninsula is due to the fact that three millions years ago, part of the peninsula was an island. Later, during the last Ice Age, approximately 20,000 years ago, the high mountains were frozen. The slow freezing process gave some plants and animals time to move to lower altitudes, where they remained after the ice had melted. So today’s Osa has plants originated at both low and high altitudes. The Osa contains the most extensive rainforests on the Pacific coast of Mesoamerica (between Mexico and Panama).
All our nature walks ended at the incredible waterfall of the area, where we could enjoy a great swim on the river pool, surrounded by this rain forest. Among the wildlife spotted in the afternoon were juvenile crocodiles (close to the river pool) and Scarlet Macaws in flight, all these immersed on this wild landscape of such a preserved rainforest.
We enjoyed recaps by the naturalists while the sun dropped on the Osa Peninsula, giving us a nice sunset and lots of memories.
The morning found us going ashore for some excursions at our morning destination: “Caletas Beach,” near by the Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula. Several nature walks were taken, and among the rich wildlife observed were wild peccaries, three-toed Sloth (a mother with its offspring on her breast), two different snakes (a vine-snake and a bird snake) and tropical and colorful birds, like Chestnut-billed Toucans, ant birds and woodcreepers. Back to the picnic area, we were amazed by the bright blue color of the morpho butterflies flying gracefully along the gardens.
We went swimming in the ocean by the pretty beach, while the barbecue lunch was being set. Right after lunch, we had a chance to go back to the Sea Voyager and take a nap, while the captain repositioned the ship to our afternoon destination: Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula. The only access to this particular area (San Pedrillo Park Ranger Station) is by boat, and it has retained its wild atmosphere of untouched rain forest.
The biological richness of the Osa Peninsula is due to the fact that three millions years ago, part of the peninsula was an island. Later, during the last Ice Age, approximately 20,000 years ago, the high mountains were frozen. The slow freezing process gave some plants and animals time to move to lower altitudes, where they remained after the ice had melted. So today’s Osa has plants originated at both low and high altitudes. The Osa contains the most extensive rainforests on the Pacific coast of Mesoamerica (between Mexico and Panama).
All our nature walks ended at the incredible waterfall of the area, where we could enjoy a great swim on the river pool, surrounded by this rain forest. Among the wildlife spotted in the afternoon were juvenile crocodiles (close to the river pool) and Scarlet Macaws in flight, all these immersed on this wild landscape of such a preserved rainforest.
We enjoyed recaps by the naturalists while the sun dropped on the Osa Peninsula, giving us a nice sunset and lots of memories.
