UnCruise Adventures’ Costa Rica & Panama – Day 5

Adventures in Golfo Dulce & Golfito

UnCruise Adventures Safari Voyager dropped anchor in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica this morning. I was here last year, on another cruise, but I awoke to find us anchoring much farther into Golfo Dulce than I had ever been. Last year, the other ship I was on tucked into a cove near the Pacific Ocean. This year aboard Safari Voyager, I came up on deck to find us anchoring in the middle of an inlet, in the heart of this ecologically-diverse area.
Once again, there were no shortage of adventures today as we enter the mid-point of this Uncharted Isthmus! Sloths, Monkeys and Mangroves itinerary that began Saturday back in Puerto Caldera.

Today, guests could take part in a skiff and stroll excursion that would weave its way through the complicated tangle of mangroves that line the northern end of the Gulf. Or, guests could take part in a guided kayaking excursion along the coastline and into the mangroves. Finally, a charger hike was offered for those who wanted to get out and really get the blood pressure up.
I chose the skiff and stroll excursion, minus the stroll. I really wanted to go back and relax aboard the ship for a bit, and it was no issue to simply cut the “stroll” part out of the skiff tour and head back to the ship.
At 8:20 am, we set out from the Safari Voyager. With Expedition Team member Chris as our guide, we sailed away from the ship and into the mouth of the inlet that would lead us to the mangroves. The tidal fluctuation here is in excess of eight feet, and Chris figured that we probably had 10 feet under our keel as we set out.
Later in the day, we’d see the tide run completely out of the area we were in, exposing the riverbed underneath.

Our two-hour long skiff exploration took us along the lush mangroves that line this end of Golfo Dulce. Along with two other skiffs from the ship, we carved our own path, and our Costa Rican drivers were careful to keep us separate from the other skiffs to ensure each raft had the chance to blaze its own trail.
UnCruise doesn’t overcrowd its skiffs. In our raft we had a total of six people, plus guide Chris. That ensures that guests aren’t bumping into one another, and have plenty of space to turn around and take photographs, which happens a lot.
The highlight of our mangrove tour was the discovery of a small inlet, just big enough for the skiffs to enter. We sailed slowly for over a kilometre into this uncharted wilderness, where impossibly tall branches blot out the sun and the call of unseen birds can be heard echoing in the darkness.

Separated by the

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