While Curacao is most well-known for the iconic Dutch architecture of its UNESCO World Heritage downtown, turquoise palm-lined beaches, and world-class diving, there are also opportunities for adventures like… feeding birds at the Curacao Ostrich Farm Tour.
What? Bird-feeding doesn’t sound very exciting, you say?
Well, this is no ordinary bird-watching expedition! The Curacao Ostrich Farm tour is conducted safari-style from a ruggedly outfitted and totally open-air jeep-like vehicle. As you drive along the dusty, bumpy dirt road, a very well-informed, multi-lingual guide will regale you with the history of one of the largest ostrich farms outside of Africa complete with amusing facts and anecdotes about these most unusual creatures.
For example, did you know that…
- ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand when they are afraid;
- the brain of an ostrich is the size of its eyeball;
- ostrich tissue is very similar to that found in the T-Rex dinosaur;
- ostrich legs bend forward, not backward;
- the black, more beautiful birds are the males;
- they can run at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour;
- the ancient Egyptians used the eggs to make a variety of utensils.
The tour provides plenty of opportunities to get out of the truck for up-close-and-personal encounters if you are brave enough to stick your own neck out. From letting the birds peck at your hand to allowing a flock of the biggest birds in the world to surround you and feed out of your own bucket, to even riding one, there are many ways to bond with the birds. Or, you can simply sit by and allow yourself to be entertained by the semi-Serengeti scene. From fuzzy, newborn ostrich chicks to full-grown, non-flying, and reptile-footed, the 45-minute expedition is a good diversion from a typical day of beach bathing or shopping.
Read about the Curacao Ostrich Farm Tour in Wave Journey, October 5, 2012.
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