So, this was the last day of our visit to Drake Bay and the Osa Peninsula in southwestern Costa Rica. And today's snorkeling excursion was the last thing on our itinerary as far as tours we had scheduled in advance.
Cano Island is about 20 kilometers (approximately 12.5 miles) off the shore of the Osa Peninsula. It is renowned for diving and snorkeling, so we had to give it a go. Unfortunately, conditions were terrible today and we made the best of a bad (and dangerous) situation.
The clouds were dark as we left Pirate Cove for the boat ride out to Cano Island. You can barely see it in the photo below.
On the way out, we passed the National Geographic Sea Lion which does an 8-day Costa Rica/Panama cruise with a stop here in Drake Bay.
We weren't going all that fast, but the swells were getting large and they were inconsistent as we drove right into them bouncing hard from time to time. We all said "Glad Linda didn't come".
As we got closer to the island the sky got darker. And then the little droplets of rain turned into a full-fledged downpour soaking all of us even though our boat had a cover. The cooling drops then felt like little needles pricking our skin. And again we said "Glad Linda didn't come".
I took a selfie to show how soaked we were, and got one of the crew cowering behind a towel as it started to get cold.
Esther got him in full on cover-up while our captain and our guide laughed hysterically.
As we got even closer to the island, it disappeared completely. Captain Hans veered toward the right side of the island and Esther was sure we were going to miss the island completely and be lost at sea on the other side. Fortunately, the island appeared again, ....
but then were was thunder and lightening. In unison, "Glad Linda didn't come, she would really be freaking out now".
They stopped the boat on the north side of the island and looked at us like "What are you waiting for?"
We all looked at each other. "You really want us to get in with lightning flashing all around?" The response was "It's not that bad" followed by a flash that lit up all sides of the boat and a boom of thunder.
I said to our guide, Eric, "I think I need to consult my attorney". :)
We scanned each other's faces again and saw "I'm not comfortable with this" in each others' eyes. Then we shrugged, put our gear on, and got in the water. That may have been one of the dumbest things I've ever done in my life. Oh well, I could think of worse places to be and worse ways to go. :)
The water felt like bath water and took the chill off from the rainy boat ride.
I left my cameras on the boat as I was already thinking about too much - the lightning, the waves crashing around the rocks, and the pain the fins were inflicting on my feet. Esther took her camera and scored a few nice shots as the water flashed around us.
Conditions were rough, the fish were usually a good ways below us, visibility was going downhill fast, and it was hard to get anything in focus.
That King Angelfish was beautiful.
At the surface, Eric gave a thumbs-up as the rain came down in sheets.
Sheesh.
We put our heads back down and continued to look at fish.
I finally ditched my fins and felt a lot better in the water although I couldn't cover as much distance. Esther got a picture of me heading for the ladder after I'd had enough of that spot.
We all boarded the boat, and then we went to the ranger station on the island where Eric registered us. We had juice and fresh pineapple and cookies while taking about a half hour break. Fortunately, the lightning had stopped and we all survived. :)
After the break on the beach, we moved to a different spot. This time I took my camera and got a great shot of these Gafftopsail Pompano (called "Sail Pompano" for short).
They swam with us at the surface and were much easier to photograph.
From the boat, Hans yelled "Tortuga!" A Hawksbill Turtle was right beside Esther, but she hadn't brought her camera this time and didn't get a picture. However, she was in the right place because Steve was retrieving the camera for her and they were close to the boat. He got a glimpse as well.
Another snorkeler in our group found a small shark resting on the bottom. We took some pictures, but it was pretty deep and, again, the visibility wasn't as good as we'd hoped.
Esther & Steve saw another small shark swimming along the bottom, but it was even deeper and harder to photograph. You can barely make out the lighter shape over the darker rocks in this photo.
While I was off wandering, Esther got some more good shots.
Some of her photos make it look better than I remembered. :)
I love this photo of a Yellowtail Surgeonfish.
It looks like something drawn for an animated fish movie. :)
I got tired of swimming from place to place following the guide and then going to see what others had found, so I just started drifting with the current while keeping an eye on the boat.
Then a Hawksbill Turtle swam toward me. Cool. By the time I turned on my camera to video, it was swimming away although I think you can faintly see it. I hope to get a better look on a larger screen.
So, although I had fin trouble, lightning trouble, visibility issues with the silt from the island after the storm, and I'm not a fan of snorkeling in two and three foot waves, it wasn't so bad. It wasn't a highlight of our trip, but it will certainly be memorable, and I can definitely see how Cano Island could be a great place for diving and snorkeling .... especially in prime weather conditions.
Around 11:30, we all got on the boat and started heading back. Along the way we encountered some Pantropical Spotted Dolphins. They are much smaller than the Bottlenosed Dolphins we're used to seeing around the Florida coastline, and we got close enough to see their spots. But we didn't do so well photographing them. Esther got the only decent shot.
So that was a nice little bonus.
On the way back, Esther took a photo of the Windstar Cruises ship in Drake Bay.
The have a seven day Panama/Costa Rica cruise that stops here.
Back at Pirate Cove, we had lunch and then relaxed, read, and looked at photos the rest of the day. The iguanas entertained, and the Scarlet Macaws dropped by the pool to munch some almonds before flying off to roost. And we had our nightly migration of squawking parrots flying over just before dark and just before our dinner.
After dinner, we called it an early night .... again. Tomorrow, we have our last breakfast here at 6:30, and then we meet our boat on the beach at 7:15 for the trip to Sierpe where we'll meet a driver to take us to Jaco.
And that pretty much ends our five weeks of exploring Costa Rica as planned by us and Pacific Trade Winds. We covered a lot but only scratched the surface, and I'm pretty sure we'll be back someday.
Now, we move on to the condo Esther & Steve have rented for a month, and we'll be "moochdocking" with them for a week before we fly back to Florida to spend Christmas in The Villages.
Our time is winding down, but I have a feeling there may be a couple more adventures before we leave. :)
Pura Vida!
I was born in Costa Rica as my dad was stationed at the US embassy in San Jose. We made a trip to Isla del Caño where I almost broke my neck horseback riding as I decided it was a good idea to kick the horse as I was put on it. I still vaguely remember been stripped off the horse by one of the locals as the horse zoomed by him.
Unfortunately, my memories don't also include some of the great memories you have made on this trip. It has been a lot of fun following along!
Posted by: Alex | Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at 08:17 AM
Another interesting adventure. The fish are beautiful. Now that I finally got to snorkel while we were in the Caribbean, I can appreciate the fun and beauty of the salt water fish. Thanks for sharing your five week adventure:) Have fun doing the condo thing!
Posted by: Pam Wright | Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at 10:28 AM