When it comes to wildlife photography there are few places on earth that rival the vibrant and lush forests of Costa Rica. As one of the most protected and biodiverse nations on earth, this small country in Central America truly is a wildlife photographer’s paradise. And, with a higher percentage of total land dedicated to national parks and protected areas than any other country on earth, you won’t have much trouble finding pristine wilderness.

At Backcountry Journeys we’ve been running exceptional wildlife photography workshops in Costa Rica for years and it’s one of our absolute favorite destinations. In fact, Costa Rica is the first international departure we ever ran many years ago. And even though we’ve added tons of exciting new international destinations to our roster, Costa Rica still holds a special place in our hearts.

Whether you’d like to photograph an abundance of tropical birds in the cloud forests on our Resplendent Quetzals of Costa Rica departure, search for countless wildlife species throughout the Osa Peninsula on our Wildlife of Costa Rica departure, photograph an entirely different ecosystem on the Caribbean coast on our Costa Rica’s Tortuguero National Park, or maybe even all three combined, you won’t regret making the journey!

Over the years, I’ve been consistently impressed with the incredible images shared by both our guests and guides from these departures. Whether It’s something large like a Tapir or something small like a Poison Dart Frog, the incredible diversity of wildlife subjects in this pocket of the globe allows for exceptional photo opportunities.

In today’s article, I’d like to share some of our favorite wildlife images captured by BCJ guides over the years. These images collectively paint a clear and accurate image of what this magical place has to offer. I will say, that narrowing this list down to 10 images was an incredibly difficult process as there were simply so many exceptional photos to choose from. It’s also worth noting that these images are being presented in no specific order. This is quite simply a list of 10 photographs that truly get us excited about the wild wonders of Costa Rica. With that being said, let’s get right into it and take a look at some of the best Costa Rica images sent in by BCJ guides over the years!

Resplendent Quetzal – Captured by Grant Ordelheide

Red Eyed Tree Frog – Captured by Ben Blankenship

Eyelash Pit Viper – Captured by Grant Ordelheide

Volcano Hummingbird – Captured by Michael Wichman

Two Toed Sloth – Captured by Grant Ordelheide

Yellow-Throated Toucan – Captured by Ben Blankenship

Fiery-Throated Hummingbird – Captured by Grant Ordelheide

Resplendent Quetzal – Captured by Michael Wichman

Squirrel Monkey – Captured by Grant Ordelheide

Green Iguana – Captured by Ben Blankenship

I hope you’ve enjoyed these images and I hope they’ve inspired you to travel to Costa Rica for yourself to photograph the abundant and beautiful wildlife species that live there. Again these are simply 10 images that we feel portray the diversity and wild nature of this place.

Costa Rica is an incredibly unique, important, and special country that deserves to be protected and shared with the world. If you’d like to photograph the diverse ecosystems and habitats of Costa Rica with Backcountry Journeys, then be sure to check out our upcoming departures! We still have some spots left on our Resplendent Quetzals Departure this December and have a few spots on our 2024 departures as well. We hope to see you out there, in the jungles of Costa Rica photographing wildlife, sometime soon!

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Each tour is bundled with lodging, meals, and transportation between workshops included, allowing you to focus on photography instead of the stress of traveling.

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