This morning we arrived at Granita de Oro, a small island near Coiba Island, off the coast of Panama. The island took ~ 20 minutes to circle via kayak and was the perfect picture of a deserted tropical island.
We had snorkeling training in the morning and then headed off the island after a mid-morning brunch. Mom tried snorkeling, but her fear of water became too overwhelming when it was coupled with the awkwardness of walking in fins and trying to see out of a mask. She opted out and waited on the beach with Matthew while I went.
I saw many brightly colored fish and a white-tipped reef shark while snorkeling. However, I didn't want to leave my mom for too long so I soon headed back. Other travelers continued on seeing a turtle, another shark, a few eels, and more.
Mom and I tried taking out a double kayak with Matthew but he really did not like the idea of having to sit down in the boat so we opted to play on the beach with him instead. I've never seen so many beautiful, unbroken shells anywhere. The beach was also active with hermit crabs scampering around spilled juice and other crumbs left by our travelers.
On the way back to the Pacific Explorer, we saw three spotted jumping out of the water. Our zodiac driver brought us ~ 10 ft away as we tried to click pictures. Mom was so excited to finally see dolphins. Matthew, however, had promptly dosed off when the zodiac started moving and didn't stir in all the excitement.
We spent the evening watching movies in our room. Matthew was watching a DVD while we watched the VCR. He decided he wanted to watch Snow White on VYS instead so I told him "after our movie." He repeated asked for Snow White and finally gave up and snuggled into me. An hour later, he was nearly asleep with his eyes drooping and his body limp against mine. As the credits rolled for our movie, he leapt up and shouted "Snow White." What a sweetheart! He had sat patiently that entire hour, obviously constantly thinking about his movie, but knowing that he had to wait until "after our movie" to say anything more.
Jess was terrific and patiently guided us to make what we feel will be a wonderful family adventure.
David Herr
1 month ago
Jessica was extremely helpful and generous with her time. She was very responsive to our questions and comments and in a very timely fashion. She worked with us in partnership to plan a trip specifically for us and our wants and needs.
Linda Coleman
2 months ago
Shannon has been a real pleasure to work with. Responsive, quick to come back with answers and alternatives, and very knowledgable. Everything you want in a travel planner!
S Dunn
5 months ago
Just as she did last time we booked with Adventure Life, Franny really listened to what we wanted for our trip and went the extra mile to help us build the perfect itinerary.
Michelle Resnick
6 months ago
What made our Costa Rica experience great was the wonderful places we stayed and transportation to get to our different areas to visit was excellent! The white water rafting and the snorkeling & dolphin watching were really fun!