Rio Agujitas, Drake Bay
Today we started the day along the south pacific coast of Costa Rica, just off Cano Island. This island is part of Corcovado National Park, has no development except for the little house of the park rangers. The island was originally a cemetery for the Bribri Indians, and is recorded in most books for this reason. Today the island is known for it’s under water world, and that is the reason why we were there.
We spent the morning snorkeling and relaxing on the beach, and besides the regular species of fish and marine life that we usually expect to see, and we did see, we got a rare surprise, a California Sea Lion! Yes this is the tropics and they aren’t suppose to be here, but this lost individual gives us an example of how surprising and unpredictable this place can be.
After lunch, we visited the Agujitas River at Drake Bay, where we took both Zodiac and kayak rides up the narrow stream. The birders among us spotted a slaty-tailed trogon in the canopy of the rain forest above the river. After very successful birding on the river we decided to visit the little village of Drake Bay, which is home to somewhere around 300 people. We were amazed, right in the midst of a tourist establishment we encountered a mixed flock of birds, with baltimore orioles, yellow warblers and summer tanager, (here for the winter) were side by side with the local red- legged honeycreeper, scarlet-rumped tanager and purple-crowned fairy hummingbird. Back on the ship and after dinner, some of us saw fishing bats off the stern. I think we better go to bed before something else shows up!
Today we started the day along the south pacific coast of Costa Rica, just off Cano Island. This island is part of Corcovado National Park, has no development except for the little house of the park rangers. The island was originally a cemetery for the Bribri Indians, and is recorded in most books for this reason. Today the island is known for it’s under water world, and that is the reason why we were there.
We spent the morning snorkeling and relaxing on the beach, and besides the regular species of fish and marine life that we usually expect to see, and we did see, we got a rare surprise, a California Sea Lion! Yes this is the tropics and they aren’t suppose to be here, but this lost individual gives us an example of how surprising and unpredictable this place can be.
After lunch, we visited the Agujitas River at Drake Bay, where we took both Zodiac and kayak rides up the narrow stream. The birders among us spotted a slaty-tailed trogon in the canopy of the rain forest above the river. After very successful birding on the river we decided to visit the little village of Drake Bay, which is home to somewhere around 300 people. We were amazed, right in the midst of a tourist establishment we encountered a mixed flock of birds, with baltimore orioles, yellow warblers and summer tanager, (here for the winter) were side by side with the local red- legged honeycreeper, scarlet-rumped tanager and purple-crowned fairy hummingbird. Back on the ship and after dinner, some of us saw fishing bats off the stern. I think we better go to bed before something else shows up!
