After
a week of astounding weather and calm seas, we awoke to a glorious sunrise over
Manuel Antonio National Park. One of the smallest and also one of the most
popular national parks in Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio offers a sublime
combination of scimitar beaches and well-maintained, easy trails that lace
transitional tropical coastal forest teeming with wildlife.
Ashore by 8:30 a.m., we split into groups accompanied by our accomplished naturalist guides and photo instructors, with some guests opting for the hilly and densely forested Cathedral Point Trail, while others followed the mostly level Sloth Valley Trail. The latter is aptly named and within minutes we had spotted two three-toed sloths. Guests began to “ooh!” and “aah!” at a medley of subsequent wildlife encounters. First up were black iguanas, followed within minutes by a troupe of white-faced monkeys, then two fiery-billed aracaris, which several guests chanced to photograph snatching a young hatchling from another bird’s nest. As on prior days, photographers Steve Morello and Christopher P. Baker assisted guests by imparting tips and tricks of the trade to ensure more engaging and fulfilling photos.
After lunch, expedition leader Gustavo Abarca briefed guests participating on the trip extension, after which some guests returned to the beach to further explore the national park on their own, while others savored beach time or relaxed on board.
A full complement of guests packed the lounge at 4:40 p.m. for Christopher Baker’s well-received presentation “Chris Baker’s Road Wage: The Life of a National Geographic Travel Journalist.” This was followed by our final social hour and a review of the guests’ slide show—a stunning sampling of photography in which many guests expressed their sense of having learned immensely during this very special photo expedition.
Ashore by 8:30 a.m., we split into groups accompanied by our accomplished naturalist guides and photo instructors, with some guests opting for the hilly and densely forested Cathedral Point Trail, while others followed the mostly level Sloth Valley Trail. The latter is aptly named and within minutes we had spotted two three-toed sloths. Guests began to “ooh!” and “aah!” at a medley of subsequent wildlife encounters. First up were black iguanas, followed within minutes by a troupe of white-faced monkeys, then two fiery-billed aracaris, which several guests chanced to photograph snatching a young hatchling from another bird’s nest. As on prior days, photographers Steve Morello and Christopher P. Baker assisted guests by imparting tips and tricks of the trade to ensure more engaging and fulfilling photos.
After lunch, expedition leader Gustavo Abarca briefed guests participating on the trip extension, after which some guests returned to the beach to further explore the national park on their own, while others savored beach time or relaxed on board.
A full complement of guests packed the lounge at 4:40 p.m. for Christopher Baker’s well-received presentation “Chris Baker’s Road Wage: The Life of a National Geographic Travel Journalist.” This was followed by our final social hour and a review of the guests’ slide show—a stunning sampling of photography in which many guests expressed their sense of having learned immensely during this very special photo expedition.
