CRUISE ISSUE: FALL / WINTER : Central America : For the Birds : Plenty of feathers and fins to spot during this tropical eco-adventure

When I signed up for a cruise along the Central American coast, my plan was to unwind and catch up on some well-deserved rest. My fellow passengers, however, had something else in mind.

Little did I know that I’d be mingling with a shipload of ecological die-hards whose mission was to locate, observe, note and generally ooh and aah over the area’s fine-feathered wildlife. They called themselves birders. I called myself a vacationer craving long, lazy days aboard an intimate ship, gliding by scenic coastlines. If a bird or two happened along, that was fine with me.

We had booked onto the Polaris, a nifty 2,214-ton, 84-passenger vessel owned by Special Expeditions Inc., which specializes in eco-cruises and carries a fleet of Zodiacs. These motorized inflatable rubber boats are key to the Polaris’ operation, allowing passengers to land virtually anywhere and get close to the flora and fauna.

We embarked in Belize City for a nine-day trip to Belize’s Barrier Reef--an exquisite 180-mile aquatic zoo of tropical fish, sprinkled with cays and some of the world’s best snorkeling--and to islands off the coast of Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. According to the brochure, there would be plenty of native blooms and mammals to see on this early spring sailing, and lot of birds.

Polaris’ Central America cruise was an easygoing, dress-down affair, and the casualness helped us all become better acquainted. Smorgasbords were popular; there were no assigned dining room seats. Like most adventure cruises, there was no “cash and flash” on this trip. My usual run-in with slot machines was out. No dining in sequins and beads. The only night show starred naturalists, who recapped the day’s events and looked ahead to the next day’s flora and fauna.

On our second day, we cruise along Lighthouse Reef, east of the Barrier Reef and one of three major atolls peeking up here from the continental shelf. Our target is a heavily jungled atoll on Lighthouse called Half Moon Caye (pronounced key ).

At Half Moon I undertake my first Zodiac trip. The Zodiacs seat 10 to 12 people. They are lowered hydraulically from their berths to a boarding ramp hinged to the side of the ship. Bathing suits, shorts, rubber water sandals and life vests are the typical Zodiac fashions. Getting off and on turns out to be pretty simple. We get as close to shore as possible, then execute a “wet landing.” In other words, we jump over the side into half a foot of water. Half Moon is the first opportunity for a “sighting.” The birders are draped with binoculars and carry paperback bird guides. Many are members of the World Wildlife Federation, an eco-organization dedicated to preserving animal species. WWF bought a block of berths on the Polaris and offered the trip to members.

As we trudge through a jungle dotted with orange-colored geiger trees, they chirp on about wing colors and male and female markings. At the end of a half-mile path we come to a 15-foot-high bird-viewing stage built by the Belize National Parks Department. In a voice heavy with significance, a birder announces, “This is prime territory for the red-footed booby.”

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It must be 100 degrees; a bunch of large gull-like sea birds with thick, pointed bills flap around a clump of jungle. We wait. It seems like hours. I am about to throw in the towel when suddenly several Magnificent Frigatebirds--they’re huge, with up to eight-foot wingspans--begin a bizarre overhead display.

It is an awesome sight. The male Magnificents communicate their mating desires by puffing up their red throat pouches into giant balloons. The birders are ecstatic. This is all they have hoped for and more. The males flaunt endlessly while white-breasted females soar above or quietly nest. I forget all about the heat and humidity.

That night we get a lecture on the fish and coral of the atolls and the Barrier Reef--a ridge of living coral second in length only to Australia’s. My enthusiasm starts to bubble. Birding may have its moments, but this is more like it. According to the slide show, we snorkelers will get a dazzling display.

The next morning, when we reach the section of Lighthouse Reef that’s best for snorkeling, I’m the first one in. Wonderful! Swimming amid fabulous fish is like sipping a fine glass of wine and soaking in a Jacuzzi at the same time. Purple sea fans are everywhere, as are brain, elkhorn and star corals. The sea teems with a mirage of green-blue queen parrot fish and colorful damselfish, rock beauties and triggerfish with their blood-shot eye decorations. Take that, birders!

A 5:30 wake-up call begins the fourth morning. All systems are go for an early Zodiac sail up the Sittee River, which drains part of Belize’s middle section. It’s still cool and chances of spotting native species are good. I’m hoping to see tapirs and jaguars or the vibrant toucan (my kind of bird), better known as the “Froot Loops bird,” after the cereal box mascot. But then an on-board naturalist advises that “the best place to see toucans is in the zoo. In their native habitat, they rarely make themselves visible.” Not at all like fish.

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The Sittee is lined with red mangroves, which give way to other forest species such as swamp ferns, allamandas and shaving-brush trees. This is song-bird heaven. Even binoculars don’t help me much, but the birders zero in on a number of species, including flycatchers, woodpeckers, kingfishers, orioles, parrots and tanagers in the towering trees.

In the middle of our river trip, one of my Zodiac mates jumps up from his seat and falls flat on his back. I wonder if he’s as tired as me, or has suddenly gotten sick. Turns out I’m wrong on both counts. Lying on the floor of the boat, he cups his hands, puckers his lips and makes whistling sounds. Mating calls, he claims. But why the laid-out position? “It’s easier to spot the birds that fly overhead.” I’m thinking this guy is a real bird-brain when a flock of something or other zooms overhead and the birders cheer and clap. The mating call worked, they exclaim! To my surprise, out comes the champagne. It’s only 6:30 in the morning; what happened to coffee?

On Day Five, the Polaris makes an unscheduled stop at the village of Seine Bight. Our destination is the four-room Nautical Inn Resort, where the owners have arranged for a local Garifuna dance group to perform. Before re-boarding the Zodiacs, we get a quick dissertation about these African-Caribbean people. In the 18th and 19th centuries, shipwrecked African slaves intermingled with the local Carib Indians, and the resulting culture evolved throughout the western Caribbean coastal areas.

We arrive as the sun sets and are greeted by a band of children and women in bright yellow dresses. Some of the women begin dancing to the beat of drums; others remain motionless and chant. I feel like I’m somewhere in Africa.

First light on Day Six finds the Polaris off the north coast of Honduras and the tiny two-acre paradise of Southwest Caye. The entire shipload is invited by the cay’s owner (a banana plantation magnate) to enjoy a barbecue at his Shangri-La. As we stampede to the Zodiacs, I wonder if maybe the birders shouldn’t add vultures to their list of species spotted.

After three days in Honduran waters, we sail to Little Corn Island, the ship’s only Nicaraguan port-of-call. This is our final snorkeling spot, and luck is with me. As I skim the surface, a five-foot nurse shark with her baby swims past. She nestles on the ocean floor, blending in beautifully with the sand. I surface and call out to the non-snorklers, who are viewing the sea life from Polaris’ little glass-bottom touring boat, “Come see this!” Big mistake. The approach of the glass-bottom chases away my shark. Fortunately, there’s a rainbow of other species to see. And even if there weren’t, floating around with flippers and mask is great for my well-being.

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, is our port of disembarkation, and the birders are enthusiastic about our final excursion: the Tortuguero canals. We ride in covered wooden boats, designed especially for maneuvering the network of channels that crisscross the swampy jungles of Tortuguero National Park. It’s hot; the boats spew smoke and the smell of diesel fuel. The birders seem blissfully unaware--after all, new species are just around the corner. Meanwhile, coughing and snorting, I manage to enjoy the profusion of papaya, cativa, breadfruit, bromeliads, banana trees and jungle that line the canals during our two-hour ride. Black howler monkeys swing in the trees.

Heading back to the dock at Tortuguero Park after our two-hour trip, I think about my birder friends. Sure they’re a bit obsessed, but they’re a jovial bunch and they helped me experience an eco-adventure that I might not otherwise have enjoyed. For their sake, I even paid the $15 to be a World Wildlife Federation member.

During the course of our trip, the birders identified 33 species, and the few I could actually see, I enjoyed a lot. I wonder: Wouldn’t it be fun to buy binoculars, get a couple of those bird books and start stalking? No way! Give me snorkeling and splendid fish any day. This business of trading hours of boredom for an occasional sighting is for the birds.

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GUIDEBOOK: Polaris Points

Getting there: Continental offers nonstop flights from LAX to Houston with connecting service to Belize City, Belize; Taca International Airlines offers a nonstop flight from LAX to San Salvador, El Salvador, with connecting service to Belize City. Restricted economy fares start at $646 round trip, including taxes and fees.

Cruise facts: The Polaris makes eco-cruises along both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Central America from December through March. A 13-day voyage from Belize City to Panama City is scheduled Feb. 10. Published rates range $5,400-$8,880 per person, double occupancy. Air is extra. One optional extension: exploring the Mayan ruins at Tical, Guatemala (three days; $785 per person, double occupancy).

For more information: Special Expeditions Inc., 720 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10019; telephone (800) 762-0003 or (212) 765-7740, fax (212) 265-3770.

--M.K.