The morning sunrise was framed by pink billowy clouds that wafted around the ship as we did our morning routines of stretching and roaming the decks in search for wildlife, which did not show up until later in the afternoon. The morning breakfast spread was laid out nicely by the hotel staff led by Erasmo Estripeaut. The activities that ensued began early with a shore landing at the Caletas Reserve Beach. There we were greeted by locals and artisans eager to interact and share their culture with us. Walks included the long and premise areas, while some had an exploration on horseback. The string of riders crossed streams and walked along a forest trail but had a chance to cantor on the beach as the tide was receding outwards. The bird life was a plethora of excitement with Toucans flying overhead, blue morpho butterflies and some lively spider and howler monkeys playing in the branches.
As lunch was served and we were repositioning to our next location, a pod of 10-15 false killer whales joined us alongside the ship to ride the bow waves and play. They can be confused for killer whales due to a similar skull structure and white on the underside of the belly that looks similar to markings of a killer whale. We deviated from course to capture their attention and watch their behavior. It is very unusual to spot this species of fascinating cetaceans! After the wonderful distraction with clicking cameras and shouts of exclamation, we anchored at the Corcovado National Park for hikes to spectacular waterfalls or the pargo trail, flat and forested. Our luck continued with stunning views of one northern tamandua anteater and three toed sloth, colonies of leaf cutter and army ants, and the dynamic howler and spider monkeys. We also some saw a great curassow continuing along with its business.
As the evening came to a close, we recapitulated about the amazing spurts of wildlife viewing. We also got a tantalizing sneak peek of the video preview of our weekly adventures.
