Today on our second day in Costa Rica, we had the fantastic opportunity to visit some of the families living in this remote part of the country and learn a little of the Costa Rican culture. We found the people to be very warm and welcoming, and we enjoyed a taste of their local products: sugarcane, heart of palm, chocolate, vanilla, bananas, and pineapples, to name a few. In both the morning and the afternoon we visited local families, as well as the adjacent tropical rainforest. There we enjoyed great views of squirrel monkeys, yellow-throated toucans, scarlet macaws, a mother three-toed sloth with her baby, and a mother two-toed sloth with her baby. In all, it was a great day experiencing the culture and natural history for which Costa Rica is so well known.
1/19/2025
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National Geographic Quest
Coiba and Cocos Islands, Panama
Our ship anchored off Coiba Island, Panama, early in the morning. The sun had just risen, casting a golden light over the dense rainforest. After a wonderful breakfast, we disembarked at the ranger station. Dividing into groups, some of us set off on a guided walk through the jungle, spotting scarlet macaws and other colorful birds in the trees adjacent to the ocean. Others chose to kayak or paddleboard along the mangrove-lined shores, gliding over the calm, clear water. By midday, we returned to the ship and cruised by Zodiacs toward Cocos Island, an uninhabited islet nearby. The staff prepared our snorkeling gear, and soon we were in the water, surrounded by schools of vibrant fish. The reef was teeming with life—parrotfish, angelfish, and even a few white-tip reef sharks moved gracefully among the coral. Sunlight filtered through the surface, illuminating the underwater world in dazzling colors. After an unforgettable afternoon, we returned to the ship, exhilarated by the day’s adventures. As the sun set, we looked back at the islands, grateful for the opportunity to explore such pristine and biodiverse waters.
