Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things you can expect:

1. We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
2. Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
3. Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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Click here to jump down to the most recent posts!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 28

Hola!

We’re all finally in the land of Pura Vida and our program couldn’t have started a better way. All our students landed in San José today and their luggage is here with them.

We had various arrival times throughout the day; from 10am to 11pm. Students had the opportunity to enjoy the swimming pool at the hotel (after successfully passing the swim test, of course), interact with each other, play cards, sleep, and rest.

We had some late arrivals so we’re looking forward to eating our first meal as a whole team tomorrow morning – and of course we’ll take our first group photo then.

We couldn’t take photos of everyone given the difference in arrival times but we promise we’ll take more photos tomorrow 😉

We’re all excited for our early start tomorrow morning to travel to our Homebase in Parismina. We’ll stop somewhere along the way and go ziplining, so we’re also looking forward to that!

The team – Marco, Mag, Grae, Jason, and Luismi

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29

Hola!!

This morning we woke up pretty early to get breakfast and left the comfort of our hotel in Alajuela. After a couple of hours we arrived at our Zipline location.

We all got a great rush of adrenaline as we descended through 10 different cables – some of them were so long you couldn’t even see the end!

The group faced their fears and supported each other to overcome this challenge.

A few more hours of driving and we arrived at Caño Blanco, where we took a boat through the beautiful Parismina river. We made it to our Homebase just before the sun set, settled into our new rooms, enjoyed a delicious dinner, showered, and played a game which allowed us to start bonding with our Mentor Groups.

Hasta mañana!

The team

 

BLOG FOR JUNE 30

Hola,

Today was our first full day at home base. We woke up to rain and monkeys, which was a warm welcome to Costa Rica. We enjoyed a nice breakfast and then participated in orientation activities, where we got to know both our peers and staff members better. After a couple of hours, we sat down to enjoy a delicious lunch, followed by a trip to the beach once the rainy weather had cleared. The water was very warm and relaxing, and everyone had a great time.

Once we all had showered and cleaned up, we had an informative presentation about the local turtle endangerment and what we would be doing to help over the next few days. After the presentation, we ate a unique dinner to fuel us for the night patrols that would follow.

All in all we had a great first day and are excited to see what the future holds.

Andrew, Nicholas Ho, Julie

BLOG POST FOR JULY 1

Hola familia y amigos!

Today was filled with ocean and agricultural fun! After breakfast, our host Jason gave us a tour around his property, the Green Gold Ecolodge. We walked around the property trying passion fruit and other tropical fruits. On the way to the beach Jason used his famous machete to fend off howler monkeys from his precious fruits. He also fed his pet cayman, Juancho. We ended the tour trying different parts of a coconut tree.

After lunch we found ourselves at the beach filling up multiple bags of trash to prevent turtles from ingesting it. Afterwards we took a dip in the ocean and came back to the lodge to freshen up and bond with each other. Tonight we had cake in celebration of Sarah’s 17th birthday. Happy birthday!

We ended the night with a debate about conservation. We’re looking forward to our adventures tomorrow!

Leah, Edith, Douglas, and Blake

BLOG POST FOR JULY 2

Hola!

This morning we tried a new tropical fruit, it was pretty good. Then we got ready for another adventure, the boat tour! On our way to the dock we saw white faced monkeys and a mamma sloth and her baby. Then we got picked up by the boats. Our guides for the tour were Jason and Jerry. They were very good at spotting camouflaged animals. We saw caymans, lots of birds, howler and spider monkeys, iguanas, basalisks, and butterflies. Overall the two hour tour was very educational and relaxing. When we got back we ate lunch and took siesta to get ready for our 3 hour night patrol.

Then we had beach clean up, we filled 2 bags today. We really learned about the effect of trash in the ocean and how to help. Then we took a quick swim and did a small game. After the beach we came back and showered to freshen up for dinner. Now we’re getting ready for patrol. It is going to be a late night!

Added note: we saw our first turtle during our patrol. It was a hawksbill, which is extremely rare to see!

Jae, Olivia, Lily, Santi

BLOG POST FOR JULY 3

Hola from Parismina!

We started off our day with a delicious breakfast with banana bread. Later we rode in the back of trucks and drove to the local town where we got a tour of the village. After the tour of the village we took a cooking class where we learned to make empanadas. We ate lunch and had an arm wrestling tournament. The locals set up a market for us to shop around, like an art fair. After that we played soccer with the kids and let’s just say they were a lot better than us. It definitely made their day and it made ours too. That ended the day in the village and after some of us went to the beach. We have night patrol tonight and that will be a wrap for day 6.

Justine, Tatum, Ava, Ilan

BLOG POST FOR JULY 4

Hola!

Today, some of us started off with morning yoga at Homebase. It was very fun and relaxing. Then we gathered for breakfast, which was so yummy. After breakfast we headed to the beach for our last beach day. The waves were very fun and the weather was extremely nice. The water was refreshing sand we spent a lot of time in the waves.

After the beach, we showered and played cards before lunch. Next, we played some group games and prepared for our dance in the afternoon. Once the dance teachers arrived we began dancing. We learned different dances including salsa, merengue, bachata, and the chacha slide. Dancing was a blast and we all had a lot of fun together. After dancing we searched the beach for sprouting coconuts during our forest reforestation project. We planted the coconuts near the beach so they had a better chance of surviving. They should be ready to eat in 4-6 years! It was really rewarding to plant the trees, and some of us got the opportunity to swim one last time. At dinner we ate empanadas and now we’re getting ready for our last night patrol.

Added note; on our last night patrol some of us were able to see another Hawksbill sea turtle, which was an awesome way to close our night patrol service in Parismina.

Lucie, Sarah L, Keira, Sarah O

BLOG POST FOR JULY 5

Hola!

This morning we got COVID test for our trips back home at 6am. We then packed up our day bags, are breakfast and headed out on our white water adventure. We spent 4 hours rafting on the Pacuare river, the 3rd most beautiful river in the world. The river had world class rapids, beautiful scenery, wild life, slot canyon, and experienced guides. The weather was beautiful and sunny for the most part, with slight showers.

After lunch we headed back onto the water for one last big rapid and ended with a leisurely swim in a beautiful canyon. We then headed back to Homebase where we packed up for the trip back home and had one last leadership activity.

Audrey, Anna, Bella, Nikolas, Izzy

BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

Hi!

Today we had our last breakfast at the Homebase. Then we traveled and stopped for lunch at a place where we ate casado and bought some traditional sweets to bring as souvenirs. We then continued our trek to Alajuela where we had dinner. We then had an amazing cake to celebrate Leah’s birthday.

At night we had a closing ceremony where we showed each other appreciation for all the experiences we shared together this week.

We wished everyone safe travels back home and got ready for the early departures tomorrow.

The GLA team

 

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things you can expect:

1. We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
2. Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
3. Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 16, 2021

Hola!

We’re finally here in the land of “Pura Vida” and our Costa Rica program couldn’t have started a better way. All our students landed in San José today and their luggage is here with them.

We had various arrival times throughout the day; from 6am to midnight. Students had the opportunity to enjoy the swimming pool at the hotel (after successfully passing the swim test, of course), interact with each other, play cards, sleep and rest.

We had some late arrivals, so we’re looking forward to eating our first meal as a whole team tomorrow (Thursday). And of course we’ll take our first group photo then.

Please Note: We couldn’t take photos of everyone yet given the difference in arrival times on Day 1, but we promise we’ll take more photos tomorrow and share them with the next blog update. So if you don’t see a familiar face yet, don’t worry – everyone is here.

We’re all excited for our early start tomorrow morning to travel to our Home Base in Parismina. We’ll stop along the way and go ziplining, so we’re all looking forward to that incredible experience!

Stay tuned for more updates in the coming days.

-Mag, Grae, Jason, Marco, and Luismi (the GLA team!)

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 17, 2021

Hola!

This morning we woke up pretty early to get breakfast and left the comfort of our hotel in Alajuela.

Today was the start of something exciting and challenging…

After a couple of hours we arrived at our zipline location for our first incredible adventure expedition.

We all got a great rush of adrenaline as we descended.

We descended through 10 different cables throughout the experience.

Some were so long you couldn’t even see the end!

The group faced their fears.

We all supported each other to overcome this breathtaking challenge.

A few more hours of driving and we arrived at Caño Blanco.

This is where we took a boat through the beautiful Parismina river.

We made it to our Home Base just before the sun set, settled into our new rooms, enjoyed a delicious dinner.

Then we showered and got into bed quite early as we were all exhausted from the long and exciting day.

Hasta mañana!

-The GLA Team

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 18, 2021

Hola!

Today we woke up early and were met by a Costa Rican doctor providing COVID tests. After a delicious breakfast we partook in team building exercises and an orientation of the grounds. Afterwards we had a guest speaker from the ASTOP foundation who educated us on the species of turtles and ASTOP’s mission.

A short hike later we were met with volcanic shores stretching as far as the eye could see into the fog. We found a few coconuts on the ground that happened to be ripe and through the power of teamwork we managed to de-husk and split open the coconuts for a delicious snack. The Caribbean sea was a perfect temperature and we enjoyed swimming in the waves.

Later tonight we’ll have our first night patrol and we plan to complete our mission of protecting and conserving the sea turtle population of Parismina.

Pura vida!

-Alisa, Neil, Reid, and Martin

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 19, 2021

Buenos días!

We started our day with a breakfast of fresh fruit and eggs. We then left for a farm tour of the surrounding property and wildlife. This tour was led by the Ecolodge owner, Jason. We spotted a sloth and its baby and got to hold baby iguanas.

We cut open coconuts and had the opportunity to taste the water and fresh coconut meat. We followed with lunch before heading to the beach.

At the beach we all took part in a friendly beach clean-up competition and took in the incredible views all around. Afterwards, we enjoyed the warm waves of Costa Rica. We then came back to our Home Base to enjoy dinner and take part in leadership activities. And after another day of service and adventure, we finally headed to bed.

-Sam, Isabella, Skyler, Willa, Cassidy Johnson and the GLA Team

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20, 2021

Buenos días!

We started the day off at 8:00am with breakfast.

Then, we played a leadership game that got everyone involved in a fun way. It was then time to take a boat tour at the surrounding land near Home Base.

We were amazed to see howler monkeys and spider monkeys! We alos spotted a cayman and some exotic birds along the way.

Afterwards, we came back to Home Base and accumulated three bags of trash on the beach during our beach clean-up project.

Then we had time to cool off and swim in the ocean surrounded by black sand and enjoying the tropical warm water.

Finally, we came back from our swim and prepared for our night patrol with great enthusiasm.

-Cayden, Kendall, Shannon and the GLA Team

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 21, 2021

Hola!

Today we got up an and ate breakfast before getting in the vehicle for a ride to town.

Once we arrived in town we took a tour. We learned all about the incredible history and culture of Parismina.

We got fruit smoothies and then it started pouring rain for a bit. Fortunately, this was right around lunchtime so we went inside to eat lunch.

Afterwards we were able to go to the local craft fair to support the community and buy souvenirs from our trip.

They had handmade keychains, necklaces, paintings and hair wraps among other items to choose from.

We later saw a sloth on our way to the sea turtle hatchery.

At the hatchery we got to see two baby turtles waddle into the ocean to be put into the wild.

The baby sea turtles struggled at first to enter the water and kept getting washed up.

When we got back we did another night patrol at the beach.

-Gabby, Rosie, Ben, Cleo and the GLA Team

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 23, 2021

Hola familia!

We started our day with an early breakfast and made our way to the boats to meet the buses. We then had a two hour long bus ride to get to the Pacuare River for a day of whitewater rafting!

Once we got to the river we were met by a team of guides who equipped us with helmets, life jackets and a safety demonstration. Our group divided into six boats and started down the scenic river. Each raft went down class 2, 3, and 4 rapids then stopped for a river side lunch. The guides prepared a lunch of fresh fruit and a burrito buffet.

After lunch our teams continued down the river. Each raft eventually reached a beautiful canyon where many of us jumped out to swim. After a few more rapids we reached the end of our journey and headed back to the Home Base.

Back at home base we packed our bags and ended the day with a filling dinner. Over all it was a great adventure with beautiful scenery and loads of fun!

-Brooke, Mara, Lucy, Julia, and the GLA Team

P.S. Here are some more photos from our recent program experiences for you to enjoy!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 24-25, 2021

Hi everyone!

Today we had our last breakfast at the Home Base ecolodge.

Then we traveled and stopped for lunch at a buffet place. We then continued our trek to Alajuela where we had dinner and a goodbye ceremony.

As we wrapped up our program, we wished everyone safe travels and the best of luck after an unforgettable experience together here in Costa Rica!

-Emily, Marian, Mylie and the GLA Team

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Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things you can expect:

1. We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
2. Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
3. Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

---

 

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things you can expect:

1. We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
2. Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
3. Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

---

 

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things you can expect:

1. We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
2. Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
3. Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.

For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.

-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

---

**Please note – This blog will be for both the 14-day program and the 21-day program.**

Click here to jump down to the most recent posts!

BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

Hello friends and family of our Costa Rican travelers! We are writing to report that all 32 students have arrived safely with their bags in the capital of San Jose. We are getting to know one another and excited about this great group of people!

Tonight we met one another for the first time, learned names, and ate dinner together. We played card games, colored, and chatted while waiting for everyone to arrive from the airport. We also made friends with the hotel staff family, who are super hospitable.

We leave early in the morning for our first beach-side stay in Montezuma!

Check back for more updates and pictures later!

GLA Staff

Kristin, Katherine, Kanya, Patrick, and Angie

BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

Starting off our morning bright and early, we savored a delicious breakfast of (surprisingly) rice and beans as we enjoyed the beautiful canopy of green forestry among us. Consequently, we ventured far and wide in the blazing heat to save the turtles that roam freely along the Pacific shoreline. After a strenuous yet rewarding couple of hours picking up trash that has accumulated over time by the careless and inconsiderate actions of others.

Our afternoon consisted of a relaxing in hammocks and washing off the grime in a freezing cold shower. Soon after, we enjoyed the taste of a spaghetti and meatball lunch with a side of thirst quenching papaya juice.

We were graced by the warmth of the not so soothing waves of the Pacific. Some of us tumbled across an array of pebble-like sand, while others floated gently across the rocking waves. After this long period of cardio and muscular endurance, we drank a refreshingly cool coconut, hacked with a machete by a Costa Rican local.

We ended this tiresome, but exuberayting, day with a exotic fish dinner, served to us by hospitable hosts.

By Sadie and Antonia

BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

We woke up to the beautiful sound of rain at our lovely hotel, La Cascada. After a delicious breakfast of rice, beans, eggs, tortillas, fruit and juice we headed out for a morning of service. At the beach, we continued our work from yesterday of cleaning up natural debris, from coconuts to big logs. After the rain storm the town went through a little water shortage but we stuck through and we were all able to shower and make to our lunch.

Lunch was delicious bacon burger with waffle fries ketchup and lychee juice. After lunch we were able to have a little bit of free time before getting ready to head into town for some shopping. Downtown Montezuma had many unique and beautiful things and lots of us picked up all things from crochet tops to jewelry to things to munch on in our rooms. The rain started back up again and we walked back to the hotel for some downtime before dinner.

For dinner we ate vegetarian lasagna with a refreshing side of salad and garlic bread and another delicious juice. After dinner we prepared for our first night patrol on the beach where we were split into groups. We were able to learn from an expert about how the turtle hatchery works and we even got to see the nests.

Fiona and Emi

BLOG POST FOR JULY 11

We started our day off waking up to the sounds of all the wildlife and the waterfall right outside of our rooms. It was a gorgeous morning compared to our rain filled day yesterday. For breakfast we had a home comforting pancake meal and then we hurried to get ready for our hike in Cabo Blanco Nation Forest.

After a scenic bus ride we arrived at the national forest. The hike was guided by 2 fantastic Costa Rican experts who took us through the rainforest and taught us about the local fauna and flora. As we hiked below the canopies of trees, we saw families of monkeys, butterflies, birds, lizards, and hundreds of species of plants and fungi that took our breath away.

We rode the bus home to devour a tantalizing lunch as soon as possible. Our lunch was Ropa Vieja which was a mix of rice, beans, and beef mixed together. After lunch and some relaxation we voted to take a trip to the beach and the local grocery store to stock up on snacks and necessities. After the beach we returned to home base and enjoyed some free time to relax, play games and talk to friends. For our last dinner at this home base, we had some delicious fish with potatoes and then had a special Costa Rican dessert called Arroz Con Leche.

After dinner a small group of 12 of us decided we wanted to go to the beach for night patrol. Night patrol is where we walk up and down the beach looking for sea turtles ready to lay their eggs. This is an important task for the hatchery to ensure that the people working at the hatchery know where the eggs are. During our adventures at the hatchery we were attacked by fire ants and mother nature when a torrential downpour occurred. Some of us danced in the rain while the other continued patrolling. We made our way back to prepare for our travels to Parrita the next day.

Jacoba and Eileen

BLOG POST FOR JULY 13

Hey y’all! Welcome to today’s blog. This morning we woke up to a scrumptious breakfast of sausage, pancakes, and eggs. We deeply appreciate our staff and all they are doing for our large group. For today’s service we cleaned and restored an old mangrove nursery which was severely damaged by a storm and we helped turn it around.They gave us machetes to cut the dead palm leave from trees and that was very fun. We then had a lunch of chicken fried rice and chips.

We then had guest speakers (Roberto and Yuma) who gave a fantastic, informational presentation on turtle conservation. In the presentation we learned about the different types of turtles and their life cycle. We learned a lot about characteristics of turtles and where they travel to throughout the ocean to complete the cycle. Turtles do in fact play a very important part in the ecosystem by balancing out the level of sea grass so other marine life can thrive. After the guest speakers we had 4 hours of free time including some yoga, and pool time! It also included a thirty minute HIT workout and OMG we were sweating, as if we weren’t already. Everyone relaxed and took some time to regroup before some GLA students partook in a beautiful beach walk.

As we headed to dinner rain started pouring down on us and we arrived soaked!! We enjoyed dinner, which was creamy lasagna, with the rainy ambience. After dinner was a fun debate leadership activity and then off to bed! Good night and pura vida!

– Written by Julia and Delaney

BLOG POST FOR JULY 14

The 14th of July was truly a great day. First we woke up around 7 and had an amazing breakfast filled with tons of nutrients. Then we got ready to put soil into plastic bags so we could plant almond trees. After 3 long hours of hard work we went to lunch and ate yet again. After lunch, there was a guest! He was a professional dancer and was there to teach us some culturally significant dances to Costa Rica. We learned the Salsa, the Bachata, and a couple more. it wasn’t a super long class but it was still really fun to learn new dances. I was glad I got to immerse myself into a new culture and really feel what it meant to be one with everyone. Overall, it was a pretty good day.

– by Aedan Youtzy 😀

BLOG POST FOR JULY 17

The morning of Friday the 17th was a truly memorable time for all of us. We were told of a surprise, but not one of us could’ve presumed the magnitude of that surprise. We loaded up the busses, grabbing bagged breakfast as we came at seven AM. The busses were set to leave just ten minutes later. Once loaded and fed, we made our way through a small village of sorts until we came upon a large villa. This villa held what our surprise was to be. We came through the courtyard and between the buildings and once we had reached the backyard we beheld a sea turtle hatchery filled with freshly hatched baby sea turtles.

Not only were we able to observe the baby sea turtles, but we were given an in depth explanation and demonstration of how sea turtles nest, lay eggs, and hatch. What happens next will stay with all of us for many years. We were given the truly spectacular opportunity to pick up these baby sea turtles and one by one release them into the ocean. We had no idea where we were going or why we were roused so early from the comforts of our beds, but that momentous occasion will never be forgotten.

-Evan Johnstone

BLOG POST FOR JULY 21

We awoke to the sounds of roosters, the loud noise of the cicadas, and the sun arising from behind the Costa Rican mountain range. We drove the short distance to Bahia ballena National park to begin our surfing excursion. We learned the basics, safety, and rules of riding the waves before we ventured into the water. While some of us chose to learn to stand up on the board, others swam in the waves

We later had lunch before a quick turn around of heading to service. Service consisted of both reforesting trees and painting signs to notify park-goers of the new tree’s whereabouts. Our service, however, was interrupted by a swarm of wasps, an earthquake, and biting gnats. Even with these interferes we managed to leave with high spirits that only increased as we made a pit stop at the supermarket.

Our day ended with mentor groups that left of us with stronger listening skills, public speaking, and a deeper (nearly unbreakable) group bond.

By Sadie

BLOG POST FOR JULY 22

After an early 5:45am wake up we headed to breakfast and enjoyed some warm, fluffy pancakes. We were then offered some banana bread and orange juice at dolphin tours, which was a brief bus ride from our home base. 30 minutes into our boat ride, we spotted a 13 meter long Bryde’s whale as well as a pod of dolphins swimming beside our boat.

We then arrived at our snorkeling destination where the water was crystal clear and the perfect temperature. After we were given our flippers and snorkeling gear, we hopped in the water and observed the coral reef that homed many forms of marine life. This included sea cucumbers, sea urchins, puffer fish, rainbow fish, damsel fish and many more. After our service in Montezuma where we worked on sea turtle conservation it was amazing to see four sea turtles one of which was a green sea turtle and the others which were olive ridleys, the species we had previously released into the ocean in Parita. The generous tour guides gave us fresh pineapple and watermelon slices. The tour guides then took us to a second location to once again snorkel. We were able to dive down to closely observe the seabed and schools of fish.

As midday approached, people’s stomachs began to growl and we knew it was time for lunch. The trip to shore was hasty however the captain was able to spot a baby humpback whale and its mother. He went into depth about how it was the season of humpback whales as the mothers need to give birth to their young in warm water to ensure their survival. He also informed us that the baby humpback whales consume 500 liters of milk a day. Lunch was set up on the beach and we were given time to swim in the water. We devoured some flavorful chicken and rice, tuna pasta salad, chips and beans and more fresh pineapple. As the rain began to trickle down we hurried to the boat and began the journey back to Uvita. The ride was bumpy and the rain rapidly hit our faces but by the time we got back we were excited to jump into the warm hotel pool.

A delicious meal of rice, beans and fish was followed by some group activities and a long needed sleep.

By Lena and Pippa