Wildlife Watching - Other Activity - Costa Rica

With 100 different species of mammals and almost 200 different species of birds (not to mention all the plant life), you’re almost guaranteed to spot something in the park. Explore on your own or hire a guide for approximately $25 (sometimes they undercut each other) - they’re worth it if you’re serious about seeing and learning about new things. Guides use telescopes for spying up into the treetops, which you can then use with your camera to take close-up photographs of birds, monkeys, or sloths. Plus, the guides can communicate with each other on walkie-talkies, to tell each other where different animals are, and this helps you get good value for your money. If you think self-discovery is best, just hit the trails and enjoy. Most souvenir stores sell Costa Rica Field Guides - laminated pieces of card featuring colored pictures of animals with their common and scientific names. You can use these to identify or look for specific creatures. Enjoy the wildlife but please respect it. Sometimes Pacific green and olive Ridley turtles nest on the beaches. If you see them, enjoy their presence, but do not interfere. You are also both politely asked and seriously forbidden from feeding the monkeys. There are 3 different species in the area - mono titi (little monkeys), white-faced capuchins and howler monkeys. Mono titi are small, fluffy, orange, ridiculously cute, and the chances are, you’ll want one - but they’re endangered, so hands off. The white-faced monkeys are intelligent, bright-eyed, and given the opportunity, likely to get into your things. Howler monkeys don’t come down from the trees but if you don’t see them, you’ll probably hear them. If you feed the monkeys, bacteria from your hands might make them sick or even kill them. An improper diet upsets their digestive system and reproduction. If they start relying on people for food, they stay in the same place and become lethargic. Naturally nomadic, they should be traveling 17 km a day or more for good health. Anybody seen feeding them can be reported to 2777-2592 and the local media might put your name in the paper. Remember the park is their home and territory, not a playground for humans, and they are definitely not our pets.

Location:
Costa Rica

Other Activity Types:
Wildlife watching

Travel Skills: None

About this Page

By Dallas
Bachelor of Health Sciences & Psychology, TEFL Graduate, worked as an adventure tour photographer, travel writer, Voxy blogger, Chamber of Commerce...

Updated: 07 Oct 2008