Marine Wildlife Safari at Bahia Drake

Monday, 2/17/14

Today was a wildlife safari at Bahia Drake.  Bahía Drake (Drakes Bay) is a small bayon the north side of the Osa Peninsula on the southwestern coast.  This bay is believed to be a port used by Sir Francis Drake in the 16th century and the location of one of the British pirate's fabled hidden treasures.

The main town of Bahía Drake is Agujitas and has a population of about 1,000 residents. The bay is not on the beaten track and can only be reached by highway during the dry season.  There are miles and miles of beautiful coastline with rocky crags and sandy coves that extend from Agujitas, where the village of Bahía Drake is located southward toward the boundary of Corcovado National Park about 12 miles to the south. Along this stretch of beach are located some of the most remote and spectacular ecolodges in Costa Rica (it reminded us of Gilligans Island).  

We arrived this afternoon back at the ship and sailed out to Sailaway music- Conquest of Paradise.  

Photos compliments of Tom Blose.  

The turtle in the picture was rescued from entanglement in fishing hooks and monofilament by the guides in one of the boats

Sails going up

Cape Horn

Sunday, 1/27

We sailed around Cape Horn this morning at 6:30 am. 

Although not the most southerly point of South America, (which are the Diego Ramírez Islands) Cape Horn marks the northern boundary of the Drake Passage (which separates the continents of South America and Antarctica).  For many years it was a major milestone on the clipper route, by which sailing ships carried trade around the world (they take the shortcut through the Panama Canal nowadays). However, the waters around the Cape are particularly hazardous, owing to strong winds, large waves, strong currents and icebergs; these dangers have made it notorious as a sailors' graveyard.  

Pictured below- unlucky sailors near Cape Horn, late 1800's

Luckily on our passing the ocean was very calm.  The Captain said that this was as good as it gets.  We have now crossed from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic.

Below- map and photo of Cape Horn