Today we had the extraordinary opportunity to visit one of the most remote areas of the tropical dry forest of Costa Rica, Bahia Santa Elena. Here our guests walked one of the new trails in the protected area; one highlight was our sighting of the famous northern tamandua anteater, a mammal which is not that common to see. Everybody went out with our local “pangas” to see the rock formations of the Bahia Santa Elena, the oldest of the country. The naturalist explained how the country first formed, and how that connects to the landforms and ecosystems of today. Later on after lunch, we split our group activities between land and water. Some guests walked into the wildlife refuge where they enjoyed the company of iguanas, lots of birds, and white-faced capuchins. Our other group of guests went snorkeling at Munecos Island to see lots of different fish species. We are thankful for this very productive day, and are feeling ready for tomorrow’s activities.
2/15/2025
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National Geographic Quest
Curú Wildlife Refuge and Isla Tortuga
Our morning destination was Costa Rica’s first private refuge for wildlife, and the results of the area’s protections were apparent. Hikers ended up surrounded by calm white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus) foraging in the leaf litter, mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) babies learning how to climb without help, Central American agoutis (Desyprocta punctata) chasing each other on the forest floor, and many other impressive animal encounters. In the afternoon we repositioned to Isla Iguana where guests were greeted with fresh coconuts, lounge chairs, and a classic tropical vista of turquoise water against white sand. The bar team of National Geographic Quest brought cocktail hour to the beach, and we stayed until sunset listening to salsa music and swapping stories from the week. The night concluded with an impressive display of fishing bats dipping in and out of light cast upon the sea surface from our ship. We leave the expedition feeling grateful for each other and for all that the country of Costa Rica has gifted us this trip.
