Curu National Wildlife Refuge
Today’s afternoon found us exploring some of the most fragile and endangered ecosystems in the world: the Central American Pacific Coast Mangroves of Costa Rica. The coconuts were dancing in the wind with the ocean rhythm. The scarlet macaws were calling from their nests up in the canopy. We started heading down the trails, following our naturalists through the tropical dry forest.
The tide of the calm Pacific Ocean and the Golfo de Nicoya was going out, exposing the roots of the black and the red mangroves. Down in the ground, these very discrete birds, the gray-necked wood-rails, were trying to hide from our avid eyes. Pigmy kingfishers and green herons were catching all our attention. Instead, these masters of discretion, which are called “Pompone” by the local people, spend the day in the shade, under the mangrove roots, close to the water. They would only delight us all with their songs at dawn or at dusk, but we would hardly ever be seen…
Those ancient and sacred waters of the Chorotega indigenous culture, and these ancient volcanic rocks are loaded with secrets. Fortunately today they decided to share them with us…
Today’s afternoon found us exploring some of the most fragile and endangered ecosystems in the world: the Central American Pacific Coast Mangroves of Costa Rica. The coconuts were dancing in the wind with the ocean rhythm. The scarlet macaws were calling from their nests up in the canopy. We started heading down the trails, following our naturalists through the tropical dry forest.
The tide of the calm Pacific Ocean and the Golfo de Nicoya was going out, exposing the roots of the black and the red mangroves. Down in the ground, these very discrete birds, the gray-necked wood-rails, were trying to hide from our avid eyes. Pigmy kingfishers and green herons were catching all our attention. Instead, these masters of discretion, which are called “Pompone” by the local people, spend the day in the shade, under the mangrove roots, close to the water. They would only delight us all with their songs at dawn or at dusk, but we would hardly ever be seen…
Those ancient and sacred waters of the Chorotega indigenous culture, and these ancient volcanic rocks are loaded with secrets. Fortunately today they decided to share them with us…
