Day 9: Manuel Antonio National Park and Cúrú Refuge

The usual routine onboard ship was something like the following: get up around 6 or 6:30, have breakfast at 7, start going ashore via little inflatable rubber boats (Zodiacs) at 8 for the morning tour, return to the ship for lunch, siesta, ashore again around 3 or 4, back onboard around 6, debriefing around 6:30, followed by dinner. This may sound like a bit much for non-morning types, but it let us get in two outings a day while avoiding the heat of the early afternoon.

I should add that the Zodiacs got loaded and unloaded just outside our cabin window, so we had our own sort of wakeup call.

The morning's stop was at Manuel Antonio National Park, a small but very popular park (because it's the closest one to San José). We were led on a nice walking tour and got to see some interesting animals, as well as some gorgeous beaches.

While the ship made its way from Manuel Antonio to our next destination, we ran into a couple of humpback whales, very possibly mating as some prurient bottlenose dolphins watched. Of course, the only photos I was able to get showed only black blobs on the horizon.

The afternoon stop was at Cúrú Refuge, another privately-owned refuge near the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. We got to see some monkeys and birds and were told about the acacia tree, which has an intense symbiotic relationship with the ants that live on it.

Our morning wake-up call: a bit startling the first time, but we got used to it.

One of the Zodiacs approaching the shore with our ship in the background.

Tina has noted that this is a ctenosaur. Looks like a lizard to me.

Heliconius (sp?) butterfly.

Helliconia flowers.

Three-toed sloth, through the guide's scope.

A beach at Manuel Antonio.

Two-toed sloth (and baby, we were told), as seen through the guide's scope.

A view of our ship from the beach. Our cabin window is just to the right of the door on the lowest deck.

Waiting to board a Zodiac for the return trip.

My best shot of one of the humpback whales.

A scarlet macaw like the ones in the hotel, though this one is wild. This is another photo taken through the guide's scope.

A kingfisher - in the fading light - through the guide's scope.