Our Blog

The season in Costa Rica so far has been very busy: three multi-day experiences and a number of day trips with guests from Tambor Tropical. It is wonderful to be back in this warm, colorful Latin American country. Costa Rica is home. I have several days off prior to the arrival of the next group on December 26th.

ONE OF THE MULTI-DAY TRIPS SO FAR THIS SEASON IN COSTA RICA

Christmas is crazy in Costa Rica; families preparing special tamales for “La Navidad” and making sure regalos (gifts) are ready. It still seems slightly strange to see Christmas lights twinkling from palm trees and a Santa poking out from lush tropical vegetation.

A couple of days ago I received a very special early Christmas gift. Frances and I traveled to Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located in the nearby coastal community of Cabuya. The sanctuary cares for and tries to rehabilitate injured mammals, birds and reptiles. One of the animals at the center is a Kinkajou, a small nocturnal mammal which is also called a “night monkey.”

When we entered the animal’s enclosure in the late afternoon, Kinky was just starting to stir from a full day’s slumber. I slowly reached into its den and softly stroked its silky soft fur and Kinky opened her huge round eyes and peered out. The connection was immediate….trust….caring….love and recognition. Kinky poked her head out of her nest and yawned, exposing a long, narrow tongue, and proceeded to reach out to hold onto me with her little paws as she stretched to her full length. We looked at each other for quite some time, acknowledging a kindred presence. Then, with almost a smile and a nod, Kinky moved lazily back into her den for a little more rest before waking for the night.

Several days (and nights) later, I still find myself reflecting upon this encounter. The physical sense of touch is very powerful… It can often convey a feeling or message that words cannot.

I believe in the true spirit of Christmas; however, I find it very difficult to accept how commercialized Christmas has become. Too often we are more concerned about what Christmas dinner will be, how the house will look for guests, or finding the perfect gift than reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas.

It is important to touch people and animals and demonstrate love, kindness, acceptance and understanding. This is the true gift of Christmas.

SNOW RECENTLY FELL ON SEASCAPE’S HEADQUARTERS IN CANADA

Wishing everyone a very simple, peaceful holiday season.

Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel

Bruce and Frances

You can read more about Kinky and Rainsong here.

Photos courtesy of Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary, Frank Postma and Bruce Smith.

Seascape has been back in Costa Rica now for a little less than three weeks, but the time has flown. We have already operated four day trips both from Curú Wildlife Refuge and from right in front of our home at the Hotel Tambor Tropical. We have run two multi-day kayaking and camping trips as well, one of which is currently in progress.

Between prep, cleanup and helping get folks out on the water with Bruce, I am slowly making my way through a new book by one of my favorite authors, anthropologist and ethnobotanist Wade Davis. Entitled The Wayfinders, the book compiles a series of lectures Davis gave recently in his native Canada. By exploring several key cultures that still interact with the world using intuitive knowledge rather than technology, The Wayfinders illustrates vividly why ancient wisdom still matters in the modern world. Davis opens the book with this quote from Mahatma Ghandi: “I want all the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.”

I love the culture of Costa Rica. I love the warmth of the people, the laid back approach to time, the beauty of the language and the attitude that is encapsulated in the popular phrase “Pura Vida!” Pure life. However, as with any culture, local people here make some choices with which I am not comfortable and to which I am certain I will never fully adjust.

A LOCAL WOMAN EXAMINES THE CROCODILE TORSO

Sunday morning I arrived in Tambor with two clients I had picked up in San José. Bruce was just coming off the water after a paddle up the Rio Panica with the family of Tambor Tropical’s manager, Juan Carlos Cruz, and all were expressing their sadness at having just seen the torso of a large “cocodrilo” or crocodile that had been shot and then decapitated, de-tailed and left to wash about in the “boca” or mouth of the river.

As Wade Davis and many other students of culture have aptly described, modernity brought with it centuries ago an attitude in humans on many continents that nature is to be conquered, mastered, even destroyed. Instead of staying in tune with the natural world, humans decided to drown out its song. While ancient peoples hunted and killed animals for food, they did so with reverence and respect, honoring and dignifying the spirit that had given its life to provide nourishment. Today in many cultures, respect for life – whether animal or human – seems to have been forgotten.

In his Traveller’s Wildlife Guide to Costa Rica, Les Beletsky points out that, unlike the Nile Crocodile which is known to be aggressive, the American Crocodile found here in Central America – and in southern Florida, Mexico, and the South American countries of Columbia, Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador – is not a particularly aggressive species and “there are few documented cases of American Crocodiles killing people.” According to Beletsky, most crocodilian species were “severely reduced in numbers during this century. Several were hunted to extinction for their skins.” While today in Costa Rica “Caiman are abundant and American Crocodiles less so, the crocs were much more common in mangrove swamps and coastal rivers up until the 1950s.” Fewer and fewer large adult individuals survive, even though these primitive creatures have only two enemies: large anaconda snakes – and man. For this reason, American Crocodiles, which can live up to 60 years, are listed as endangered.

VULTURES WAIT FOR DUSK NEAR THE CARCASS, BEHIND THEM THE SHADOW OF THE LAND MASS THAT RESEMBLES A CROCODILE

Seeing the crocodile’s massive, headless and tailless body at a distance on the beach yesterday made me very sad, and I thought of the awe inspiring cocodrilo Bruce showed me last year near Tortuguero National Park, basking in the sunshine along a bank where one meandering river meets the Caribbean sea. From our kayaks, we were practicing one of Seascape’s sustainable guidelines, which is to view wildlife from a distance, respecting the animal’s territory. And it in turn respected us. Whoever shot this particular individual in Tambor did not use the meat or the skin, and very likely cut off the head and tail as trophies. Seeing the undignified lifeless trunk that was once a living creature, I was struck by the irony that Tambor Bay itself is graced with a beautiful vista of a land formation perfectly resembling a large crocodile, watching over the entire bahia like a sentinel.

AMERICAN CROCODILE NEAR TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK

Few cultures exist today in which reptiles such as snakes, lizards and crocodiles are allowed to flourish unharmed. Growing up in Kentucky, I remember my dad carrying snakes as far from our home as possible, but nonetheless sparing their lives and teaching me to appreciate their place in nature. Most of my friends’ fathers, however, would have killed the snake on sight. Not far from Tambor there is a wildlife sanctuary called Rainsong that treats injured animals. One of the most touching stories on their web site concerns a Green Iguana that was found stoned nearly to death by school children.

It is my hope that more parents, whether in Los Estados Unidos or in Costa Rica, will teach their children to live and let live. Humans are not on the earth to rule nature, but to coexist with it and learn valuable lessons from the many life forms that surround us. As the almost full moon rises over Playa Tambor where the vultures are still working away on the carcass that was once a beautiful sentient creature, I am saying a prayer for another life crossing the Great River and for the American Crocodiles who are still enjoying the streams, estuaries and coastal habitats of this amazing country.

Frances

Seascape will return to Costa Rica and open its southern base Nov. 16. Today’s blog is adapted from an article by Jennifer Harter of Santa Teresa, on the Nicoya Peninsula, not far from Seascape’s southern base in Tambor. She wrote the story for a local Costa Rican publication about a trip she did with us almost a year ago. If you want to know what a day trip with Seascape is like, this gives you a pretty accurate description.

Last November our friends Bruce Smith and Frances Figart from Seascape Kayak Tours invited us to have an experience of a lifetime. We met the couple about a year ago and learned that Bruce has been offering multi-day sea kayaking trips in Costa Rica during the winter months for the past 13 years, splitting his time between here and New Brunswick, Canada, where he has been guiding expeditions of the highest quality for 15 years. Several years ago, he added half-day and full-day kayaking tours to Seascape’s multi-day trip Costa Rica product. With his charismatic outdoor leadership qualities, Bruce has managed to organize trips that combine a day of fun, education, wildlife observation and conscientious environmental practices. The kayaking expeditions are all designed with beginners in mind so that anyone can share and enjoy the experience. The place that Seascape has chosen to share on their tours is Curú Wildlife Refuge, also our meeting point.

JENNY HARTER AND MARIANNE FISCHEL TAKE A PEACE BREAK

Curú is a natural haven of beautiful beaches and abundant biodiversity, the first privately owned National Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica. This place is an undiscovered treasure and a wonderful example of a very thriving sustainable development program, combining forest management, protection and sustainable agriculture. The refuge has managed to offer locals valuable job opportunities, as well as educational programs and conservation projects like the reintroduction of Scarlet Macaws and the rehabilitation of Spider Monkeys. They have also started research groups, built artificial coral reefs and studied migratory patterns of various bird species found on the land. All while offering tourists the chance to kayak, hike, horseback ride, snorkel, enjoy the beaches and see a wide variety of flora and fauna. Curú is the perfect place to spend a day of enlightening enjoyment and pleasure.

We arrived at the main gate just before 9 a.m. where the guards were already expecting us; we were greeted and instructed to drive in towards the beach where Bruce and Frances were waiting. Once the rest of the group arrived, Bruce gave us an introductory tutorial on the refuge, went over some pointers on paddling technique, told us what to expect and reviewed kayaking safety procedures. He explained the importance of staying together as a group and of respecting the environment, and encouraged us all to go at our own pace and enjoy our pristine surroundings. Once we all had gotten comfortable in our kayaks, and had paddles, spray skirts and life vests on, we proceeded to carry our boats toward the still water. One by one, we were assisted in being launched into this pool-like bay of teals and greens.

JENNY AND HER GROUP ENJOY A FRESH FRUIT SNACK ON QUESERA

As you glide along the waters the feeling of peace is overwhelming. The coastline to your left is amazing and to your right you begin to see various islands, including Isla de Tortuga. With each stroke I began to sink into a meditative-like state of bliss. The surroundings were dreamlike and the water was perfect – and changing. As we advanced along the shoreline, the ocean began to obtain mosaic qualities. The colors began shifting from turquoise to deep blues and emerald greens, such a gorgeous contrast to the earthy tones on the beach and mountains. We glided past the beaches of Posa Colorado and Quesera to turn left around a point towards the bay of Playa Organo.

Organo Beach is a beautiful oasis of tranquil coastline with an abundant estuary filled with marine life. On the edge of the bay a wall of cliffs shoots out of the water to create an impressive and dramatic landscape. As the winds blow against the rock face, you can hear the sounds of nature’s music that resemble someone playing an organ, hence the name of Organo. Once we reached the coast here, we had been paddling for about an hour and a half at a steady yet mellow pace.  Once again, one by one we rode small waves towards the beach where Bruce assisted us to shore. Here we swam, took some photos and enjoyed the setting for about half an hour before departing towards the true highlight of the trip.

As soon as everyone was geared up and in the water, we all began to paddle back towards Playa Quesera, our next destination. After a short crossing of about 20 minutes, we were once again beached in another awe inspiring heaven. Playa Quesera, is definitely amongst the most unspoiled beaches I’ve visited in Costa Rica, creating a surreal castaway feel. This place is a true gem, a small cove of white sand and the most intensely toned waters, surrounded by yellowish stone walls and remarkable rock formations. As Frances and Bruce set up our picnic, we were free to help, explore, photograph or swim. I couldn’t believe we were on the Pacific Coast; I felt like we had just arrived on a secluded Caribbean cove.

Only one downside: since these beaches are facing the Gulf of Nicoya and so many rivers end up here, sadly lots of trash washes up along these shores every rainy season. After surveying the damage, we all sat together under some beautiful almond trees to enjoy a delicious and healthy picnic in the shade. Over lunch we all talked about the experience so far and got to know each other and our guides better. Everyone expressed their pleasure in the kayaking, and their dismay that such a beautiful place could be violated by ocean pollution and garbage. After eating, we packed up our things and were each handed plastic garbage bags so that we could all help to clean up the beach. We all agreed it is the responsibility of environmentally conscious people who visit these places to lend a helping hand by cleaning up the beach and taking debris back to a place where it will be recycled. What a great way to educate visitors as well as local people on waste management and the importance and value of protecting rivers and oceans.

JENNY HELPING WITH THE BEACH CLEANUP ON PLAYA QUESERA

We packed up again and started launching the kayaks into the water. As we headed back to the Bay of Curú, I felt intense gratitude for the occurrence of the day. Bruce and Frances shared a unique escapade with us to treasure forever. This tour stands out in greatness and is a must if you are visiting the Nicoya Peninsula area. Kayaking in Curú is a very different and special tour in comparison to all the ones I’ve tried in the area and even in Costa Rica. The opportunity to learn, experience and enjoy is a treat for foreigners and locals alike. I highly recommend contacting Seascape Kayak Tours to plan a visit to Curú Wildlife Refuge while it is still, for the most part, a pristine place.

Jenny Harter is an outdoor enthusiast, photographer, beach lover and bookworm who is opening a new book shop inside the Holistic Clinic at the shopping center at the crossroads between Malpais and Santa Teresa. View her surf and wedding photography at www.blissphotocr.com and www.soulsistasurfphotography.com