At the break of dawn this morning we found ourselves located in Drake Bay by the mega-sized Corcovado National Park, on the southwestern side of Costa Rica.
We set ourselves to go out by boat to visit the Agujitas River before breakfast. As the sun started to shine behind the distant Talamanca mountain range, we were already traveling in our expedition landing crafts. The air was so fresh, and the scenery simply spectacular, with the distant Caño Island and all the sounds coming from the forest by the mouth of the river. Amazon parrots were flying over our heads, and the booming calls of howler monkeys filled the air. There is truly no better way to start a day!
For the rest of the morning National Geographic Sea Lion repositioned to the nearby Caletas Point, the gateway and part of the buffer zone of Corcovado National Park. At Caletas we disembarked to walk in the pristine forest, a beautiful walk that ended in a delicious picnic lunch brought to us by the galley of our ship. Our lunch was leisurely spent under the coconut palms by the ocean, with the rhythmical sound of the waves and the occasionally interruption of scarlet macaws flying above our heads along the beach.
After lunch the National Geographic Sea Lion repositioned yet again to the national park itself, for some walks by the San Pedrillo sector of the park. Some of us walked on a trail adjacent to the ocean and others went deeper into the forest, following the course of the San Pedrillo River to see and swim by the San Pedrillo waterfall. There is no better way to end a perfect day than relaxing in the cascading, refreshing waters of a beautiful river, surrounded by dense green tropical rainforest. Among some of the great animals observed today were loud howler monkeys, colorful raucous scarlet macaws, active spider monkeys swiftly moving through the canopy, extremely well-camouflaged and venomous eye-lash vipers, and silent but alert American crocodiles.
