OnBoard Tours Whales

The Month of March 2016

Drake Bay, Southern Pacific Ocean of Costa Rica, and the Osa Peninsula described by National Geographic as intense: “the most biologically intense place on earth!” Costa Rica was on my ‘living list’ for a long time. Scarlet Macaws captured my attention since I was a little girl. One of their last habitats is this area in Costa Rica. I brought and wore my Scarlet Macaw earrings I’ve had for decades. Their daily community gatherings were a highlight of my trip. Mesmerized by their striking beauty, lifelong pair bonds, and constant ‘caws’. I could hear them coming long before I saw them and wondered if they were chattering or squabbling. Probably some of both, they are territorial.

I started on one end of Drake Bay, then went to Drake Bay town- Agujitas. Grateful to connect, support, and tour with environmentally aware, sustainable minded, experienced, wise, local generations owning and operating hotels and true ecotourism. Adventures abound in Osa Peninsula, Corcovado National Park, and Cano Island. Support local people who are stewards of place.

On my journey, along the way, mislead, cut, bruised, melting, lost, scared, sick- the yin of the yang- swimming warm clear blue radiating ocean full of life, horseback riding rivers and hiking waterfalls, tropical slice of earth like I was in a terrarium, going through mangroves hundreds of feet tall, hiking rainforest jungles, flying the canopy, trying new foods, snorkeling with turtles, rays, sharks, and fish. Day and night symphony and chorus of birds, birds, birds, monkeys, geckos, reptiles, insects, thunder, rain, wind, ocean surf. Meeting Bottlenose dolphins, Pantropical Spotted dolphins, and the multitude of sea and land critters outweighed the yin. Yes intense biodiversity!

When I return home, I see there is a British ITV show- Davina McCall: Life at the Extreme, about some of the most extreme places on our planet. Episode 4 is about the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica.

Where I lived for 3 weeks. I feel better. I did “extreme” too.

Early to bed 9pm, early to rise 5am. There’s a reason we all go still by 1-2pm, brutal sun until sunset right before 6pm. Between 8 to 9 degrees from the equator, about 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. Everyday. Year round. The rains are life supporting, cleansing, refreshing.

Predator and prey in constant survival dance. Relentless heat and humidity. I bake and drip away in Costa Rica and slap on another layer of sunscreen and bug bite repellent. Weather forecast says with humidity the heat index is over 105°, then 107° 108° 113° 114° the following days. Twenty-two days like living in a sweat lodge- but it can be detoxing, right? Yes extreme for me!

I learned the unexpected, the unplanned. My dreams, goals, hopes, all the sea and land earthlings I met went beyond the beyonds, a grand adventure seared into me. Pura Vida!

Enjoy the photos and video!

The video is the view from my room in Agujitas overlooking Drake Bay one fine sunset