Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge, Honduras
Today was our first day of our expedition through the Caribbean coast of the Central American countries of Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. As usual we started early. At 6:30 am we were disembarking the kayakers to paddle under our own power through the pristine Cuero y Salado river system. Some other people chose an easier way, and started a little later departing from the stern, on the Zodiacs.
It was a clear and not very warm morning (yet), and as we navigated by the small thatched roofed community of Salado. We could observe the children coming out to wave at us. Further up stream as we kept on paddling, we started getting into the lush dense primary forest which was our goal. As we advanced meandering through the multiple roots of the red mangroves, we could listen to a very loud, and apparently not very distant call of the mantled howler monkeys.
After a couple of hours we returned to the Sea Voyager. We had by then spotted several species of birds: two species of toucans, oropendolas, black hawks, collared plovers, sungrebe (nesting), least terns (nesting) and identified various tree species, among them “Pachiras” with it’s huge fruits, mangrove, beach hibiscus and more.
A well deserved “brunch” was served on return to the ship, in order to be ready for our afternoon activities. Can’t think of a better way to build an appetite. Snorkeling and dive briefings were followed by equipment distribution on the bow of the ship. In the afternoon on Southwest Cay, not only were fish seen, but least terns were nesting on the point, two eggs per nest!
Today was our first day of our expedition through the Caribbean coast of the Central American countries of Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. As usual we started early. At 6:30 am we were disembarking the kayakers to paddle under our own power through the pristine Cuero y Salado river system. Some other people chose an easier way, and started a little later departing from the stern, on the Zodiacs.
It was a clear and not very warm morning (yet), and as we navigated by the small thatched roofed community of Salado. We could observe the children coming out to wave at us. Further up stream as we kept on paddling, we started getting into the lush dense primary forest which was our goal. As we advanced meandering through the multiple roots of the red mangroves, we could listen to a very loud, and apparently not very distant call of the mantled howler monkeys.
After a couple of hours we returned to the Sea Voyager. We had by then spotted several species of birds: two species of toucans, oropendolas, black hawks, collared plovers, sungrebe (nesting), least terns (nesting) and identified various tree species, among them “Pachiras” with it’s huge fruits, mangrove, beach hibiscus and more.
A well deserved “brunch” was served on return to the ship, in order to be ready for our afternoon activities. Can’t think of a better way to build an appetite. Snorkeling and dive briefings were followed by equipment distribution on the bow of the ship. In the afternoon on Southwest Cay, not only were fish seen, but least terns were nesting on the point, two eggs per nest!
