For our last day aboard National Geographic Quest, we decided to change our itinerary and explore the Agujitas River on Zodiac. This place is amazing. As you slowly enter the river, the rainforest is very impressive with huge old trees. Inside this forest of giants, we saw zamia trees, considered one of the oldest plants on earth. A million years ago, we did not have pollinators as we do today. The trees dispersed seeds using the wind, and some trees developed female cones and others male cones.
We had the great opportunity to watch for wildlife on the way to the river. We spotted green iguanas, spiny-tailed iguanas, yellow-crowned night herons and mantled howler monkeys.
It wasn’t easy to enter the river because we had to go with the tide. Our great Zodiac drivers did an amazing job maneuvering through rocks until we arrived in an open area. We decided to just stay there and enjoy the songs of Costa Rica’s tropical rainforest for a bit. During that time, toucans flew nearby. Guests had the opportunity to photograph the colorful birds and observe their behavior.
After a wonderful time on Agujitas River, we returned to National Geographic Quest and repositioned toward our next destination, Caletas. A private reserve, Caletas offered opportunities for hikes of medium intensity or long walks around the property and along the coast. We observed a large troop of white-throated capuchin monkeys relaxing in the trees.
After a great final day in this remote area of Costa Rica, we returned to the ship to pack and for our last recap session.
