Costa Rica & Panama:  A walk on the Wild Side
Lynn Erickson

Our expedition began with our arrival at the airport in San Jose, Costa Rica.  From there, we were transported to our 64-passenger expedition boat on the pacific coast town of Herradura.  We had no idea what magnificent remote destinations and one of a kind experiences this small ship would lead us to.  My first response was to compare the experience to one of the mass-market cruise ships I had been on.  We quickly found out that this was going to be completely different. 

Small ship cruises visit off the beaten path destinations, offering the richest possible experiences of the places they visit.  They gravitate to destinations not for the nightlife, shopping, and restaurants, but rather for the nature of the destinations themselves.  They immerse you in the history, culture, environment, and wildlife of the places you are visiting. 

The focus is so much more on what’s outside the ship; you really get an up close and personal experience.  Accompanying you on your expedition is an Expedition Leader and a group of highly educated Naturalists.  They are always there flooding you with their knowledge, entertaining you, and answering your questions. The Naturalists help you understand and fully appreciate what you are seeing and experiencing.  The overall experience is very participatory.

Our first morning, we awoke to the beautiful Manuel Antonio National Park, which is the smallest but most popular of the national parks in Costa Rica.  We were given a choice of 3 different hikes through the park based on skill level.  The onboard naturalists guided each of the hikes and offered information on the varied flora and fauna.  Right away, we learned to not just look, but listen - as things are not as easy to spot in the dense forest as one may think.  We spotted howler monkeys, white-face capuchin monkeys, two and three toed sloths, orange and purple land crabs, bats, iguanas, basilisk lizards and a variety of birds.  The most important thing we learned was the ecology of the tropical rainforests, the relationships between the organisms and their environment.  So many living things in the forest are dependant on each other for survival.

As we continued our journey through Costa Rica, we kayaked down pristine rivers; hiked through rich forests; and strolled through a garden of orchids and other exotic tropical plants and flowers.  In addition, some of us even took the opportunity to experience the remote Osa Peninsula on horseback. 

Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula in the southernmost part of the country is the largest and most remote of Costa Rica’s parks. This area can only be reached by boat or small plane.  This protected park is home to the most rare and endangered species of wildlife in Central America, including scarlet macaws, squirrel monkeys and five species of cats including jaguars.

After leaving Costa Rica, we arrived at Isla Coiba in Panama.  We had the opportunity to bird watch in the morning and then to snorkel around a tiny island called Granito De Oro (grain of gold).  This island looked like a deserted island from a Far Side cartoon.  It had a perfect white sand beach, just a few palm trees, and an outcropping of rugged rocks.  This speck of an island is home to thousands of hermit crabs scurrying around in their various sized and shaped shells.  The true beauty of this island though lies beneath the green-blue waters of the Pacific.  We discovered an array of multi-colored tropical fish including Moorish Idols and a black and white eel.  The most exciting sighting was a school of thousands of large silver fish that surrounded us like a tornado.

The next day, we visited sea bird colonies near the Pearl Islands in the Gulf of Panama (yes, the location of Survivor All Stars).  Due to the nutrient rich waters in this area, thousands of pelicans, brown-footed boobies, blue-footed boobies, and frigate birds nest on the cliffs of these islands.  The male frigate birds were a sight to see, as they inflated their bright red pouches under their throats to attract a mate. 

In the afternoon, we decided to do something that Lindblad has never done before; we boarded our zodiacs to visit a small remote fishing village on Otoque Island.  As we arrived, we could see children running down the streets to gather in groups on the beach.  The adults were a bit more timid, standing outside of their houses.  Finally, one of the adults came down to greet us, welcoming us to stroll through their village.  As we walked, groups of children followed us with excitement for their newfound friends.  Their biggest thrills came from having their pictures taken with digital cameras that they could instantly see.  I will not soon forget the faces of those precious children.

It was now time to wait for our turn to enter the Panama Canal.  Prior to arriving at the canal, we learned much of the history of this man-made marvel.  The canal is approximately 50 miles in length, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.  All vessels require a specially trained pilot to maneuver the ships through the canal and it’s series of lochs, which raise and lower the ship.  During our transit through the Panama Canal, Beny, our Panamanian Naturalist, did a wonderful commentary throughout our crossing, as we all gathered on the decks. 

By special permit, we spent the night half way through the canal in Gatun Lake, which was formed during the construction of the canal.  This gave us the opportunity to make a chance of a lifetime visit to Barro Colorado Island, owned by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.  This island is a world famous center for scientific study, because of its remoteness, many species of plants and animals can be studied and observed in their natural environment.  In the company of a Smithsonian Naturalist Guide, we made some discoveries of our own.  We were fortunate to see troops of howler monkeys, a couple agoutis, bats, several types of insects, and an array of birds including toucans.  Many of the locals refer to toucans as “banana pushers.”  Among the insects we saw were leaf cutter ants.  These tiny ants march in a single file line from the tops of the trees and along the ground, bringing leaves and blossoms back to their colony.  After this fabulous visit, we made our way through the final set of lochs to conclude our journey in Colon on the Atlantic side of Panama.

At the end of our expedition, we were given the opportunity to purchase a special DVD, produced by a professional video chronicler that filmed us throughout the week.  He edited the film, set it to music and did voice-overs.  We all became stars in our very own Discovery Channel-like documentary video; so we will always remember our trip.

 I feel very fortunate to have been able to experience such an incredible adventure, although it is not easy to convey my true feelings in words. What a miracle worker Mother Nature is.  It’s just one of those rare opportunities in life that make you feel like you’re not just existing, but truly living.

“Pura Vida”

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