It's day 7 already? Sipping morning coffee in the rainforest to the sound of birds and the pitter patter of a gentle rain shower is a wonderful way to start the day!
With luggage loaded we are ready to hit the road again for an hour's drive to Manuel Antonio National Park (97 miles south of San Jose), the most visited national park in Costa Rica. Although it is one of the smallest parks, it is densely packed with wildlife and gorgeous beaches. It gets 151 inches of rainfall annually and is home to 347 bird species, 109 mammal species, 50 reptile and amphibian species, and over 400 plant species.
The drive along the Pacific coast provided us with stunning panoramic blue ocean vistas. As we approached Manuel Antonio we could see that this area was so different from other national parks we visited. The town is clearly a tourist destination with lots of hotels, restaurants, shops, beaches, and traffic. The park is the main attraction for both tourists and travelers (we like to consider ourselves the latter- there is a big difference!). The species that is probably most abundant here is Homo sapien.
Manuel Antonio limits the number of people who can go into the park so fortunately we had a morning ticket to enjoy the park before it got too crowded. Before entering the park, rangers checked our backpacks for opened food as feeding the monkeys is absolutely forbidden and if you set your backpack down, monkeys are likely to grab it and rip it open looking for food.
As we waited at the checkpoint, we could already see monkeys scampering about. Our wildlife viewing was reciprocated this time- humans were checking out the monkeys and the monkeys were checking out the humans!
Our guide, Jimmy, must have found it amusing to see us get so excited about seeing our "DNA cousins"! We were ready for some monkey business!
The hiking here was really easy. The trails are paved or covered with boardwalks and are even wheel chair accessible. The capuchin monkeys were everywhere- swinging in the trees, scampering on the railings, and one even used Jim's arm to scamper from point A to B. Groups with guides pointing out the wildlife were everywhere, but we had Jimmy, the best guide of all!
Of course we had to get our fill of capuchin white-faced monkey photos before proceeding down the trails. How could we not capture these adorable faces and amusing antics. It was especially fun watching them find fruits to eat, leap from tree to tree with their babies on their backs, and swing from their prehensile tails. How similar their expressions are to ours! One thing that was immediately obvious about this park was how close the animals are and how easy it was to view them.
The drive along the Pacific coast provided us with stunning panoramic blue ocean vistas. As we approached Manuel Antonio we could see that this area was so different from other national parks we visited. The town is clearly a tourist destination with lots of hotels, restaurants, shops, beaches, and traffic. The park is the main attraction for both tourists and travelers (we like to consider ourselves the latter- there is a big difference!). The species that is probably most abundant here is Homo sapien.
Manuel Antonio limits the number of people who can go into the park so fortunately we had a morning ticket to enjoy the park before it got too crowded. Before entering the park, rangers checked our backpacks for opened food as feeding the monkeys is absolutely forbidden and if you set your backpack down, monkeys are likely to grab it and rip it open looking for food.
As we waited at the checkpoint, we could already see monkeys scampering about. Our wildlife viewing was reciprocated this time- humans were checking out the monkeys and the monkeys were checking out the humans!
Our guide, Jimmy, must have found it amusing to see us get so excited about seeing our "DNA cousins"! We were ready for some monkey business!
Of course we had to get our fill of capuchin white-faced monkey photos before proceeding down the trails. How could we not capture these adorable faces and amusing antics. It was especially fun watching them find fruits to eat, leap from tree to tree with their babies on their backs, and swing from their prehensile tails. How similar their expressions are to ours! One thing that was immediately obvious about this park was how close the animals are and how easy it was to view them.
Portraits of capuchins
Monkey watching was mesmerizing and we could have stayed in one spot all morning watching them but it was time to move on and we realized they were everywhere- no shortage of monkeys here! Much to Laura's delight (who has been on "agouti watch") we saw several agoutis foraging close to the trail. Agoutis are rodents, about the size of our woodchucks, that look a lot like guinea pigs. They are important seed dispersers and can eat seeds with hard coats. Sometimes when food is scarce they will bury the seeds in small caches to eat later. If they do not return to eat the seeds, the seeds may grow into new plants, replenishing the forest.
Our next mammal sighting was a group of small white-tailed deer that were browsing very close to the boardwalk trail. These small deer are the national symbol of fauna in Costa Rica and are on one of the currency bills. They used to be hunted in Costa Rica but hunting is no longer allowed.
Manuel Antonio has a rich diversity of plants, including heliconias. We have seen different types of heliconias throughout Costa Rica. This species of heliconia is common throughout the park. The heliconia blooms for long periods of time and attracts hummingbirds and butterflies which feed on the nectar that comes out of its purple flowers along the margin.
The next sighting was a bit unnerving. Coiled under the leaf litter was one of the most highly venomous and aggressive snakes in Costa Rica, responsible for more than half the deaths by snake bite in Costa Rica- the fer de lance. This pit viper can reach lengths of 6 feet. We could safely observe it from the boardwalk above. This is why you must stay on the trails in Costa Rica and best to go with a guide who can spot these well- camouflaged vipers.
In this close up you can see the broad triangular head of the fer de lance and the small sensory pit between each eye and nostril. Another interesting example of structure and function!
Further down the trail we crossed over a bridge into the mangrove forest. Mangroves grow where ocean water meets fresh water and different species have varying levels of salt tolerance. They have distinctive prop roots that angle out from their base and some have snorkel-like pneumatophores that can provide air to the roots when submerged. Besides providing habitat for many of the animals in Manuel Antonio, they also serve two important ecological functions: their extensive root system protects and buffers the shoreline and they are a nursery for many marine species.
Further down the trail we crossed over a bridge into the mangrove forest. Mangroves grow where ocean water meets fresh water and different species have varying levels of salt tolerance. They have distinctive prop roots that angle out from their base and some have snorkel-like pneumatophores that can provide air to the roots when submerged. Besides providing habitat for many of the animals in Manuel Antonio, they also serve two important ecological functions: their extensive root system protects and buffers the shoreline and they are a nursery for many marine species.
Burrowing into the mud banks were many large and beautiful red and blue land crabs.
At the end of the trail we came to the beach. The Playa Manuel Antonio is regarded as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It has stunning views and shady palms where the rainforest meets the silky sand.
Several people in our group opted to go for a refreshing swim in the Pacific while others walked the beach and hiked over a land bridge to the next beach. From a top a viewing platform I could see Jimmy parked in the sand, watching our stuff (and protecting it from monkeys and raccoons) while we explored the beach and got our feet wet.
Back on the trail again we spotted a sloth ever so slowly climbing down a tree. It was remarkable to be so close to the sloth. It was a three toed sloth, moving slower than molasses. Sloths are so sedentary and slow that you can see the algae that grows on its fur. Jimmy explained some of the differences between the two-toed and the three-toed sloths (we saw both on our trip). Three toed sloths have more vertebrae. They also have a small tail and longer arms than legs.
The sloth's "laziness" is actually a remarkable adaptation. They live their life in "energy-saving mode." Its slowness also helps protect it as predators don't see it moving and the algae growth helps camouflage it.
Jimmy also pointed out why leaf size and shape is so important to plants in the rainforest. Large leaves allow understory plants to capture more sunlight. The leaves can point upward or downward, depending on the amount of sunlight during the day. Many leaves also have a "drip tip" to allow them to shed water quickly so that fungus does not grow on them.
Coming out of the park we watched a troop of tiny squirrel monkeys. This now completes our sightings of 3 (howler, capuchin, and squirrel) species of monkeys out of the four in Costa Rica. We have yet to see a rare spider monkey.
It was an amazing day in Manuel Antonio National Park. Although it was filled with people, the advantage was that we got to see several animals up close and walk along a gorgeous beach.
We checked in to another nice hotel in the heart of the village, within walking distance to Manuel Antonio and had lunch. For most of our trip we ordered and enjoyed the "casado"- a typical Costa Rican meal consisting of black beans and rice, salad, plantains, and beef, chicken, pork, or fish; always served with a choice of a freshly made juice from tropical fruits. By now some of us were craving typical American food and ordered cheeseburgers made with local beef. Wow! The burgers were amazing!
During lunch, Jimmy (as always) finds something interesting to share with us. A tiny butterfly happened to land on Page's finger and Jimmy proceeded to explain the interesting adaptation this butterfly has to protect it from predators. On the back of the wings the butterfly has structures that wiggle like legs, fooling predators into going for that part of the butterfly's body rather than its head and thorax region, which would kill the butterfly.
We had time in the afternoon to stroll around the town, hit the shops, and go for a refreshing swim in the hotel pool. Page has been posing little plastic dinosaurs in scenes throughout Costa Rica so she could write a book for her dinosaur-crazy grandson, "Dinosaurs Go to Costa Rica." A walk to the town beach gave the dinosaurs a chance to visit a Costa Rican beach and build a sand castle!
Before dinner, we met in the bar for our evening speaker for a talk about the history of the Manuel Antonio region beginning with the Quepos People and Spanish conquistadors and ending with formation of the Manuel Antonio National Park and the conservation efforts in the region. We learned by now that lectures in the bar work best! We were set up at a bar all to ourselves with the flat screen TV used as the speaker's projection device.
Besides the story of the Quepos, he shared with us some highlights of Costa Rican history including the abolishment of the army in 1948. Costa Rica is very proud to be a peaceful country without need for an army. Since their national budget is not consumed by supporting a military, they can put significant funds into social programs that help Costa Ricans, education, infrastructure, and conservation.
Our very engaging and passionate speaker also shared a local effort started by school children to protect the monkeys and other wildlife from being electrocuted on power lines. Before this effort, 6 animals a day were found dead from power line electrocutions. Multiply that by 365 days a year and the mortality is serious. These children devised a way to string colored plastic "vines" from pole to pole for the animals to climb on instead. They also pressed for and got the government to put insulation on all the power lines. A good example of how our young innovative and concerned children can make a difference!
The fresh tuna with a soy/ginger/sesame glaze was excellent and we tried a typical Costa Rican cocktail- the michelada. When traveling, it is always fun to try the local beers and cocktails. A michelada is a fusion of both- a combination of Imperial beer, ice, lime, and a salt rimmed glass (sort of like an unsweetened margarita).
As another amazing day came to end, all I can say is "Pure Vida"! Life is good....
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