Our tropical journey, on board National Geographic Quest, began last night with the crossing of the first set of the Panama Canal Locks, the Gatun Locks on the Caribbean Sea side. This first segment took us directly to Gatun Lake, formed by the damming of the Chagres River in 1923, which also created the first – and one of the three most productive – research stations in the Neotropics, Barro Colorado Island (BCI). With segments that include part of the mainland, BCI is nowadays declared a Natural Monument, and we got the chance to explore this amazing site three ways: a walk on the mainland site known as the Discovery Center, another one on the original island, or via a Zodiac cruise, exploring the island’s edge. Whatever we chose to do, we were rewarded with great sights of various animals like black throated and slaty-tailed trogons, spectacled owls, golden-orbed spiders, howler and white-throated capuchin monkeys and many more. This is just the beginning of our week’s journey through Panama and Costa Rica.
2/26/2022
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National Geographic Quest
Osa Peninsula and San Josesito
Today, National Geographic Quest arrived in the gateway of Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica’s most ecologically intense rainforest. Its diversity is unparalleled. In the morning, our guests enjoyed either a long hike or a walk along the coastline. In both activities, guests spotted scarlet macaws, their colors blazing in the tree canopy. Other tropical birds also displayed extraordinary colors. Among others, we spotted scarlet-rumped tanagers, bay-headed tanagers, and red-legged honeycreepers. We also observed land mammals, including white-nosed coatimundis, on the grounds of the coastal walkway of San Josesito Beach. Later in the afternoon, we repositioned to San Pedrillo, one of the stations of the national park and a highlight of our voyage. The chance to dip into a waterfall pool made every meter of the walk worth it. Along the hike, guests spotted American crocodiles and many types of tropical birds. The importance of this area is demonstrated by the size of its trees. The park, 80% of which is protected, maintains a good balance of the species that inhabit this gorgeous rainforest. The pargo trail was another option for hiking today, and guests enjoyed great sightings of spider monkeys, black-hooded antshrikes, dot-winged antwrens, and rufous pihas. After the afternoon activities, we headed back to the ship. We enjoyed the recap sessions, a great end to this day.
