After three weeks of working our internships and learning all about Roatan, we took some time off to go ziplining! We arrived at the top of the hill at Gumbalimba Park where we all got harnessed up and taught the basics of ziplining. Shortly after, we hit the trees and sailed down 13 different lines. Being careful not to hit any brush along the way, we soaked up the beautiful ocean views and the plush array of greenery around us. We even saw the occasional iguana baking in the sun and monkeys playing in the trees. Everyone successfully made it the bottom where we coasted right onto the beach.

Once we were all grounded again, our tour began. Jason Woods, twin brother of a Luther grad, was our amazing tour guide. As we walked the property of Gumbalimba we had the chance to learn all about Roatan history. We journeyed back in time to the caves made by early Roatan tribes which housed historical artifacts from the island. A considerable amount of insects could be found in the insectarium and many of these had been known to live on the island of Roatan. Some of the beetles were as large as or bigger than a grapefruit.

We concluded our time at Gumbalimba with a visit to both the bird and monkey interactive attractions. Many of us got to hold three macaws, one on each arm and the third sat on our heads. Then we were introduced to Richard and Petra, the white-faced capuchin monkeys. We took a lot of photos and there was a constant wave of smiles throughout these exhibits. And last, but not least, were the iguanas. We had seen them when we were flying through the trees, but there were so many of them that we could see while walking around that ranged from tiny to massive in size. All in all, it was a great day touring and ziplining at Gumbalimba Park!