Bahia Huevos, Papagayo Gulf, Costa Rica
After cruising for several hours, the Sea Voyager dropped anchor in a beautiful horseshoe-shaped bay called Bahia Huevos (Egg Bay) located on the Papagayo Gulf. This gulf is part of one of the oldest terrains in the country, over 80 million years old. As a matter of fact, all of the Nicoya Peninsula, which has been our expedition area for this trip, was formed far out to the northwest of its present location traveling on the oceanic Coco’s Plate; this is known as an exotic terrain.
In this idyllic bay we spent the whole day among a wide variety of activities. After a tasty breakfast of banana pancakes, we all geared up: snorkeling, Frisbees, boogie boards, kayaks, towels, coolers…ready for a beach day. As soon as we took over the beach, a native inhabitant came to see what we were doing on its property; it was a white-faced capuchin monkey who displayed its acrobatic talents to the great joy of all present.
The snorkelers explored a nearby rocky formation with some corals. The reef formations on the pacific shore might not be as colorful as those in the Caribbean, but the diversity in fish is much higher. Gustavo, one of the naturalists on board, took an underwater video camera and captured the interesting defensive behavior that some damsel fish display when they feel something coming too close into their territory. Their territory can cover 3 square feet, in which they lay and take care of their eggs and protect their algae garden on which they feed.
Our afternoon outing took place in a nearby mangrove forest. Some of our guests decided to have some one-on-one contact with this entangled ecosystem via a kayak; while others chose the drier comfort of a Zodiac cruise with interpretation from our natural history staff. This ecosystem is very important for keeping the fish life of the oceans healthy, acting as a nursery for the juvenile fish, which find refuge among their intricate root system.
After this, we still had a few of hours of beach time, so in between boogie boards, hermit crabs and lounging chairs, we enjoyed the last of the day’s sun by taking a dip in the Pacific Ocean.
After cruising for several hours, the Sea Voyager dropped anchor in a beautiful horseshoe-shaped bay called Bahia Huevos (Egg Bay) located on the Papagayo Gulf. This gulf is part of one of the oldest terrains in the country, over 80 million years old. As a matter of fact, all of the Nicoya Peninsula, which has been our expedition area for this trip, was formed far out to the northwest of its present location traveling on the oceanic Coco’s Plate; this is known as an exotic terrain.
In this idyllic bay we spent the whole day among a wide variety of activities. After a tasty breakfast of banana pancakes, we all geared up: snorkeling, Frisbees, boogie boards, kayaks, towels, coolers…ready for a beach day. As soon as we took over the beach, a native inhabitant came to see what we were doing on its property; it was a white-faced capuchin monkey who displayed its acrobatic talents to the great joy of all present.
The snorkelers explored a nearby rocky formation with some corals. The reef formations on the pacific shore might not be as colorful as those in the Caribbean, but the diversity in fish is much higher. Gustavo, one of the naturalists on board, took an underwater video camera and captured the interesting defensive behavior that some damsel fish display when they feel something coming too close into their territory. Their territory can cover 3 square feet, in which they lay and take care of their eggs and protect their algae garden on which they feed.
Our afternoon outing took place in a nearby mangrove forest. Some of our guests decided to have some one-on-one contact with this entangled ecosystem via a kayak; while others chose the drier comfort of a Zodiac cruise with interpretation from our natural history staff. This ecosystem is very important for keeping the fish life of the oceans healthy, acting as a nursery for the juvenile fish, which find refuge among their intricate root system.
After this, we still had a few of hours of beach time, so in between boogie boards, hermit crabs and lounging chairs, we enjoyed the last of the day’s sun by taking a dip in the Pacific Ocean.
