The Traveling Widower

Category: wildlife

  • The Last Day – Magnificent Macaws

    A scenic view of a tropical beach with lush green hills in the background, clear turquoise water, and a partly cloudy sky.

    March 27th, 2026

    The last full day of these trips is always a bit chaotic – you have to pack that evening, so you really don’t want to have much in the way of wet or soggy clothing and shoes. This trip was no different and both the morning and afternoon outings involved very wet landings (possibly waste deep), potential stream crossings, and of course, hiking in hot and humid rain forests. Nothing like opening up a suitcase the next day, with wet, smelly clothing in plastic bags. 

    The ship had sailed to the Osa Peninsula overnight, and we dropped anchor off of a beautiful, private rainforest preserve. There were four options in the morning, and some of the guests with long lenses opted for the “woos” or lazy hike – just a mile or so wandering along a coast trail, looking for things to photograph. We hit it lucky almost immediately – a very photogenic Scarlet Macaw, which was intent on feeding in the palm trees, and offered us some incredible close-up photo-ops. I had been hoping to get some good shots of these birds, and I finally got some. Beautiful colors on these birds.

    A colorful parrot perched on a tall palm tree, feeding on a cluster of orange fruits.
    A vibrant scarlet macaw perched on a branch surrounded by lush green leaves.

    We then headed off along the coast trail, looking for more beasties, or good scenic views. Our guide was the Nat Geo photographer, so he was providing some useful tips along the way – one of the reasons I enjoy their trips. 

    A wooden swing hanging from a tree overlooking a sandy beach with gentle ocean waves and a ship in the distance.

    I have been doing pretty well health wise on this trip after my one panic/tachycardia attack, and had been really careful on the hikes since the trails are all covered in roots and muddy in places. My luck finally ran out – I was thinking as I strolled along,  that I may not go on the afternoon hike, when I tripped on a root and fell forward. Luckily, the only thing that was seriously damaged was the lens hood on my big 500mm lens. That’s easily replaceable for about $40.. But I also twisted my bad knee a bit. That’s not easily replaceable but I was OK. I’m sure the trip lead had his radio out, ready to call for help, but I got up on my own. My pride was the only thing that really hurt. And a slight bit of blood. The ship doctor was getting used to seeing me, and I really did not want to bother her again.

    After my little accident, we wound up walking back up the coast trail to view a baby sloth – not the most exciting animal to photograph since most of the time, you just see a mass of fur and maybe a couple of legs. A few people actually saw one move up the tree, and had photographs of the sloth’s face, but most everyone thought it was a toy someone stuck up in the tree. 

    A sloth hanging upside down on a tree branch, nestled among green leaves.

    Eventually, we headed back to the beach – the heat and humidity were getting worse, so it was nice to get back to the ship. I decided at that point that I had enough photographs, and did not want to get wet and sweaty again. Or risk another fall. So I just settled in for the afternoon, packing, relaxing, drying off my very wet shoes and soggy clothing, and filtering through all the raw and jpeg images I had captured the last few days. This effort will keep me busy for a few days once I get home. 

    I think this was the night someone said there would be a “green burst” with the sunset. I’ve seen that before in Maui, where you get some green rays just as the sun goes under the horizon. A bunch of us went out on the bow observation deck to witness this – it was during happy hour, so I was probably the only person on deck that had not already downed a few margaritas or martinis. I’m sure most of them believe they saw some burst of color…but that probably had more to do from the alcohol than light refraction. But it was still a pretty sunset.

    Sunset over the ocean with vibrant colors in the sky and soft clouds.

    The last gathering on all the Nat Geo/Lindblad trips includes a slideshow of shared photos from the passengers – everyone gets to submit up to 5 photos, and the Nat Geo photographer selects the most interesting and cobbles together the show. It’s not a contest, but I usually get all five of mine selected. It’s a lot of fun – someone else contributed a shot of a bunch of passengers hanging over the railing – they were looking at dolphins at the time, but these images always look like they are having an adverse reaction to something they ate. I had that shot (see below) but had too many other photos I wanted to show. But I’m glad that I am not the only one with a warped sense of humor.

    A group of people leaning over the railing of a boat, looking out at the ocean, with a clear sky in the background.

    Peace (burp)

  • Hot and Humid in Costa Rica

    A smiling male photographer stands in a lush green jungle, wearing a t-shirt and carrying a backpack. He holds a camera in his hand and is surrounded by tropical foliage.
    Not me, my Avitar, AI generated

    March 25th, 2026

    It’s hard to believe that the trip is almost over – time really does fly sometimes. And I am so looking forward to waiting in line for hours at the Houston airport next Sunday.

    On Tuesday night, we sailed over the border from Panama to Costa Rica, and were given instructions by the trip lead to change the clocks on our phones and computers to stay on Panama time, rather than setting back an hour. Since the ship goes back and forth between time zones each trip they stick with the Panamanian zone to avoid messing up the crew shift schedules. We docked in Golfito in the morning, and let passengers wander into the (very) little town. Nothing was open. Of course, it was only 8AM on Costa Rica time.

    The town of Golfito is in the Golfo Dulce (Gulf of Golfito/Golfito Bay), the deepest gulf in the world. If you are interested in geographic trivia, now you know. The plan for the day was to do either kayaking or Panga rides along the Mangrove trees at the edge of the rainforest. I chose the lazy route – a Panga ride. I was hoping for a lot of wildlife, and carrying a heavy expensive camera in an open kayak did not seem like a particularly smart idea. The second outing for the day was a visit to private rainforest property, which was great for bird watching and photography. Woo Hoo.

    One interesting feature of this part of Costa Rica is that this gulf sort of blocks the wind, so you get a lot of rain, and the humidity and heat can be unbearable. Not Woo Hoo. You can tell immediately when you wake up that it is going to be humid – all the windows are fogged up.

    Two round portholes on a ship, one displaying a warm sunset glow and the other showing a foggy exterior view.

    For some reason, this area is a haven for the ultra wealthy. Jeff Bezos had his yacht here the other week. When we pulled in today, Mark Zuckerberg’s super-yacht was docked across the way. And then this huge, weird looking ship with a helipad midship, pulled in. This also belonged to Zuck. It carried all his toys – like a helicopter, a small sailing yacht, and a small submarine. There were probably a few cars as well. I guess if you have it, you flaunt it. 

    A large luxurious yacht docked near a tropical shoreline, surrounded by dense greenery and under a partly cloudy sky.
    A scenic view of a marina with multiple boats docked, surrounded by lush green hills under a clear blue sky with fluffy white clouds.

    The first outing on Wednesday was nice and relaxing – it was hot and humid, but the panga’s have tops over the seated area,  and it was pretty nice when we were moving around at high speed. We cruised along the mangrove shores for an hour, hoping to replicate the experience we had with the Monkey Islands in the Panama Canal. Not even close unfortunately. We did see a few birds and a snake, but that was about it. It was still a nice ride – the jungle is beautiful, and it was really nice being out on the water. And I did get some very nice shots of a white egret and three-colored heron.

    Lush green tropical forest with palm trees among dense foliage.
    A white heron perched on a branch above calm green water, surrounded by lush greenery.
    A blue-gray heron standing on a branch among lush green leaves, near still water.
    A white bird standing on a branch over calm green water, poised as if about to catch fish, surrounded by lush green foliage.

    The next outing required sailing across the bay, which we did over lunch. By then, it was getting really hot and humid. Miserable is the word that comes to my mind. The landing was on a rocky beach, and it was a wet landing meaning you have to get your feet wet walking from the boat in the surf to dry land. I brought the wrong water shoes, and had to do a step-ouch-step dance up to the sand. The place we landed in had a bunch of Macaws overhead in the trees, but I was too busy changing shoes to get the camera out, so I missed the photo op. When we were all set, a bunch of us were assigned to one of the local guides, and off we went on our hike through the gardens. 

    It’s kind of hard trying to describe this place – it is a huge (500 acres) family owned property, which borders a national park. It’s a jumble of hiking and walking trails, with chicken coops, ponds (with a resident Cayman), native plants, and areas where pineapples, coffee, cocoa and other fruits are grown. The jungle surrounds everything’s, so you don’t feel like it’s a plantation – the family maintains it as sort of a eco-tourism business. And there are all kinds of birds flying and screeching. It was an interesting experience – not too great for photography, so lugging my heavy camera and lens around was an effort. But I did get a few good photos….but not of the Macaws or Toucans. Darn.

    A colorful bird perched on a branch, featuring a green head, red chest, and black tail, surrounded by lush tropical foliage.
    A vibrant heliconia plant with bright red and yellow flowers, surrounded by lush green foliage.
    A group of chickens in a makeshift coop made of corrugated metal, surrounded by lush greenery and trees.
    A toucan perched on a mossy tree branch surrounded by lush green foliage.
    A close-up view of a crocodile's head partially submerged in water, with textured skin and a visible eye, surrounded by lush greenery.
    A brightly colored bird perched on a branch, featuring green, red, and gray plumage against a blurred green background.
    Two red macaws flying against a clear blue sky.

    I captured one short video worth sharing, something I’ve seen in documentaries, but never live – leaf-cutter ants. Very strange, and they are all over the place.

    After our hikes were over, we sat around re-hydrating for a while, watching the Macaws fly overhead (but never quite in range of my camera). Most of us were ready for A/C and a shower – I was pretty much drained at that point, so I did my ouch-dance across the rocks, and boarded a Zodiac back to the ship. 

    Two more days to go. And one last photo – high humidity usually leads to nice sunsets. Here’s one.

    Mark Zuckerbergs private yacht

    Peace.