travel & nature photography
travel & nature photography
While standing in front of a pen of caimans, the young tour guide hopped the fence, and snatched a small caiman. He handed me the caiman, and said he would take my picture. I'm from Lousisiana, so this should be natural, right?
The sign on the side of the road advertising the crocodile farm.
animal, animals, wildlife, mammal, mammals, warm-blooded, primate, primates, monkey, monkeys, capuchin, capuchins, white-faced capuchin, white-faced capuchins, white faced capuchin, white faced capuchins
I only caught a quick glimpse of this turtle while out for a swim.
A male resplendant quetzal
A male resplendant quetzal
I hiked out to Cathedral Point first thing in the morning, with the hope of finding some of the local capuchins; Semana Santa festivities had driven the monkeys to remote areas in the park. I first spotted a female with an infant clinging to her back. After following her for a few minutes, I came upon a troop of the capuchins. After getting a series of photos, I decided to sit down and just watch. Before long, the monkeys drew closer to me, one even sitting down in front of me.
Splendid Leaf Frog (Cruziohyla calcarifer)
(Uracis turrialba Ris)
A Striped Basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus)
A male Emerald Basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons)
A female Casque-headed Basilisk (Corytophanes cristatus)
This mischievous olingo, a close relative of the kinkajou, would come by my friend's cafe in the morning to empty a hummingbird feeder or two.
Owl Butterfly Caterpillar (Caligo eurilochus)
This was one of the vine snakes on display at Santa Elena's Serpentario.
Black Spiny-tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura similis)
Possibly Orthemis
While canoeing through Tortuguero's canals, I scanned the waterline for eyes -- caimans like to hide along the edges. This guy was a little more obvious.
The canoe was a bit difficult to steer, but I managed to get close enough to catch this guy's grin -- and a large fly on it's snout.
A Striped Basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus)
While taking my kayak through Tortuguero's smaller canals, I spotted this caiman on one of the banks. As I approached, I wondered why the caiman didn't submerge. I finally realized that it was feeding.
One of the brilliant things about photography is the ability to review images in fine detail. At the time I photographed this caiman, it's dark surroundings limited my ability to identify it's meal. Upon review, what I thought was a fish was actually a very unfortunate iguana.
Only the second green anole I've encountered in the wild, this one was climbing a tree near the beach in Tortuguero National Park.
One of many types of anoles in the rainforest.
Tortuguero, Costa Rica
The caimans in Tortuguero's canals like to hide among the aquatic plants. Exploring canals is best by kayak or canoe, as moving quietly may allow you to get really close.
Caimans are a fairly common sight in Tortuguero's canals, if you know where to look. They like to stay mostly submerged, and surrounded by mats of floating plants.
Emerald basilisks are a fairly common sight along the Caribbean slope of Costa Rica.
Black Spiny-tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura similis)
Blue Trumpet vines have blanketed this grove, creating a thick, colorful matting.
I found this giant grasshopper clinging to some foliage along a trail in Manuel Antonio National Park.
A capuchin selfie? No. I held out the camera, taking a few photos as the curious monkey inspected it.
Black Spiny-tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura similis)
These massive American crocodiles congregate under the Interamericana's bridge over the Tarcoles River. The 'crocodile bridge' has become a tourist destination for anyone traveling along the highway.
An immature Emerald Basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons)
The tent-making bat has a neat trick: it chews on a large leaf, creating a perforation pattern which causes the leaf to fold over, thus creating a tent.
This is one of several young caimans in Danaus' pond.
A small nature reserve, Danaus' main attraction is a pond where one can spot boat-billed herons and spectacled caimans.
The Dendrobates pumilio poison dart frog can be found along a long stretch of the Caribbean coast. This particular color morph, known as 'strawberry' or 'blue-jeans,' is common in Costa Rica.
This is my favorite lizard. Known as the casque-headed basilisk or helmeted iguana, these lizards are notoriously difficult to spot, due to their camouflage.
This is my favorite lizard. Known as the casque-headed basilisk or helmeted iguana, these lizards are notoriously difficult to spot, due to their camouflage.
Not only is the casque-headed basilisk naturally well-camouflaged, it also has the ability to change colors, like a chameleon. While I was photographing a male clinging to a branch, I didn't even notice this female less than two feet away. It ended up dropping to the leaf-litter, where it again became a challenge to spot.
