The day started with a gorgeous sunrise at Golfo Dulce, and for all those early birds on board National Geographic Sea Lion, an amazing bird watching activity was about to start. As the day started warming up the birds began showing up. Crested guans, toucans, parrots, and parakeets were just some of the beautiful birds we got to see. Just when we all thought the morning couldn’t get any better, Gustavo spotted a bat falcon, which was the big prize for all of us.
The morning continues with another great activity. We took an expedition landing craft cruise into the mangrove forest, and for the most adventurous, the kayaks were ready as well. Beautiful scenery, shorebirds, and a great learning experience were just some of the things that our naturalists wanted to share with our guests at the Esquinas River.
At lunchtime everyone had a story to share about their morning, not knowing that a great afternoon was ahead of us. Casa Orquideas Botanical Garden was saved for the end of the day. Orchids, bromeliads, heliconias, gingers, and many more tropical plants gave everyone the opportunity to learn from the flora of Costa Rica. And for those bird lovers we had more to discover: tanagers, saltators, flycatchers, and the amazing red-capped manakin were added to our master list of bird sightings. Definitely, we had a great number of species on our amazing expedition.
