Today we went to Mirador Playa San Jaunillo. This is a great place to look at marine ecosystems...normally. Yesterday's storm left the waves pretty big, so snorkeling was a bit "intense." Also, the normally clear water was a bit turbid. None-the-less, students went out looking at marine organisms. Here's what it looked like (An apology: Some students went out walking on their own, checking out the beach and tide pools, and weren't near me, so you'll find some folks show up more often than others just because they were closer to me :-)
Costa Rica Ben
This is the dining area of our hotel. This hotel is....real. It's open air, so there's insects and ants.
Isabelle and the Costa Rica trip wish you a good day, wherever you are.
Lauren kitted up for snorkeling.
Ryan tries out his snorkel
Ryan and Dan test the waters.
Tim Baywatch Parshall guards the beach.
Jenna and Tori
Lauren, Jenna, and Tori
Lauren was on a swim team, dive team, and is super comfortable (and intense) in the water.
Tori
Lauren
Lauren again
Ben
Ryan
Some old guy, wearing a child's mask, so his mustache doesn't make the mask leak.
I took a lot of pictures of fish butts, as they swam away. This is another of my "Dive Magazine" quality photos.
None of the students saw these fish, and you wouldn't either, except one of my flippers got eaten by a flipper-eating-crab. I looked and looked and never did find it. Then I was tumbling in the surf holding onto a rock with one hand and kicking with my one fin, while holding the camera with the other hand. I think these fish thought I was a rock. So, I was able to snap this likely to soon be an award-winning photo.
These don't really convey the violence of the current and surf. I probably took about 50 fish pictures to capture these few decent ones, while washing back and forth about five feet.
Isabelle posing down.
Will tried out a different sort of mask and snorkel.
Lauren shows off her treasure.
And Olivia shows her finds.
Isabelle and Will inspect this dead body they found.
Ryan finds a shell, which he promptly named "the eye into the soul."
Big surf, even in the protected cove.
Isabelle and Will
Danielle kept air-bombing me every time I tried to get her photo.
Isabelle
Will, trying to get away from the camera. Mrs. Dr. V will appreciate these Flamingo swim trunks.
Ben
Tori
Tori, with 33, the number of years I've been married to Mrs. Dr. V
Jackson
Some dude - one that possibly stole a little kid's mask and snorkel.
Storm building
The friendliest dog in the world.
Parshall
Now this needs explanation. In my family, it's a tradition to make amazing art installations at the beach, oftentimes ones that are worth....a Meeeeellion dollars. This one is a poignant statement about the condition of human existence, and the juxtaposition of...oh, wait, no, its just a dog head on a human torso and legs. No matter, it's still up for sale for....a Meeeellion dollars.
Aidan takes a selfie
Jackson
Olivia
The group displays our cool beach findings
Teeny Tiny Hermit crab
Dr. Parshall, esteemed trip leader and teacher extraordinaire.
This little fellow was NOT interested in posing.
I set him down.
Isabelle and Will
Tori, Jenna, and Ben
Aidan and Ben
Isabelle
Schwarzenegger in his prime.
F is for FINN (don't worry, Finn will understand)
Obviously, this is me standing on Jackson's head with my big toe...
To do an arm press. Why? Because it's there?
We were lucky and had a nice dry morning. Right when we got on the bus, the rain hit again. This evening, we witnessed two sea turtles laying eggs...more on that and mangroves tomorrow.
PURA VIDA
