“Having had at least a dozen different guides in CR we have yet to run into one who mailed it in...”
Randall helped us find all kinds of wildlife in the canopy, including crawling under the underbrush to find a sleeping Baird's tapir (Photos in our trip report)
Costa Rica is a place where they run out of superlatives...is that a great frigate bird, or a magnificent frigate bird? Yes, it's hot and it's a jungle, teaming with things that creep and crawl, but it's also a place of amazing beauty and diversity. It's truly unbelievable how much wildlife can be seen during a day walking in a national park, or out on a boat. It's not just what you see but what you hear, the roar of the ocean, the bark of the howler monkeys, constant bird calls and cicadas, seemingly a different one trilling every hour. It's hard to see all this life all all around because of the dense foliage.
They not only know what it is, but what kind of behaviors to expect and why it matters to the ecosystem. (oh, BTW, it's a Purple Gallinule, I asked, and Carlos knew!!)
That's where Costa Rica's fabulous guides come in. A professional guide in CR is a highly trained naturalist who also specializes in hospitality. Having had at least a dozen different guides in CR we have yet to run into one who mailed it in. To a man (and one woman) our guides have been as passionate and enthusiastic about our tour of the sea or canopy, as if it was the first time they were seeing it. Sharing that passion is not just their job, but their life's work, and I have yet to stump one with a question! In the rare case a ready answer isn't available, out comes a dog eared wildlife guide and the matter is certain. Through excellent public education, Costa Rica has in one generation turned out a small army of environmentalists, many who told me their parents or even they as children caught iguanas to sell for meat or dug turtle eggs to eat and used the shells as dishes. Today they are the most passionate defenders and teachers of this amazing biodiverse, beautiful country.
Carlos not only pointed out the birds in the mangrove, he also pointed them out in the guide book so i could spell their names!
Click here to see our full trip report about our recent trip to La Paloma Lodge in Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula, gateway to the Corcovado National Park. it's multi media, with lots of exciting drama, excess luggage, civil unrest, and earthquakes, oh my!
