Our group spent the last few days at an ecolodge on the incredibly beautiful Osa Peninsula in southern Costa Rica. It was the perfect place to relax after finishing up our hard work in Biolley.

Each morning we ate breakfast on this porch (above) and watched monkeys run through the trees overlooking the Pacific Ocean 🙂

On Saturday we took a boat to nearby Caño Island, where we spent the morning snorkeling. We saw lots of colorful fish swimming around the coral, and even got to see dolphins and humpback whales from the boat!

On Saturday afternoon, our new friends Samuel and Sophia taught us how to make coconut milk. It’s quite a time-consuming process but yields a delicious treat with which the chef made a yummy coconut flan for dessert that night.

We also had the opportunity to learn about conservation efforts happening throughout Costa Rica, mainly in the preservation of big cat species that inhabit the peninsula. Elizabeth, the owner of the ecolodge, is working with a team of scientists to open an ecological corridor between the peninsula and Parque de la Amistad to help the cats have more space to roam. We got to help her install cameras along a trail while on a nature hike, which will help their team track the movements of the six species of cats that live around the property.

On Sunday, we helped the volunteers at the ecolodge with a beach cleanup, and then chatted about the impacts that different materials have on the ocean and wildlife that thrive in these environments. We spent about an hour cleaning a very small section of beach, and found SO much trash.

It was a very special place to spend the last few days of our time together. Thank you to everyone at Jaguar Jungle EcoLodge for making our time there full of learning and fun!

— Kelly & Sam