By telling us your country of residence we are able to provide you with the most relevant travel insurance information.
Please note that not all content is translated or available to residents of all countries. Contact us for full details.
Shares
Imagine waking up from the sunlight shining in your port hole, the smell of the sea, and the gentle rocking of the ship just off the Oso Peninsula of Costa Rica! A short zodiac ride later, you find yourself immersed in the tropical rain forest. Scarlet macaws perched in the trees along the shore. Jesus lizards running along the brush. In January, I went on an expedition of a lifetime with Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic. Growing up in Flint, I couldn’t have ever dreamed of hiking through the forest or swimming at the base of a waterfall. Yet, there I was, in paradise. Fortunate to be led by local conservationists, I met a family who operated a gold mining business. While most of the gold now is actually mined, they still do gold panning demonstrations to share their family history. I also visited a sugar cane plantation, where all of the local children like to come volunteer. It’s a sweet gig. I’m a teacher and if you’re plugged in to the youth culture and the VSCO girls, I would have been shamed if I returned to school without finding sea turtles. The Latin American Sea Turtle (LAST) conservation group were treating a hawksbill—removing barnacles and a fishing hook from its neck. I was then able to watch them release the turtle into the sea. It gives me hope for the future to see people working to rehabilitate wildlife and restore the ecosystem. Costa Rica’s environmental efforts are paying off and it shows! Pura Vida!