As I sat on the tarmac looking out my window at the snow softly falling to the ground and the crews working to de-ice our plane, I contemplated how it would only be a number of hours before I was in a world drastically different than Northwest Montana. I was on my way to Costa Rica to run Backcountry Journey’s Resplendent Quetzal and Wildlife of Costa Rica photo trips. Costa Rica is an amazing place to visit, but for photographers, it represents one of the most biodiverse places on earth and a seemingly never-ending supply of photo opportunities.

Our first trip was aimed at photographing the iconic resplendent quetzal high in the Talamanca Mountains. This beautiful bird was considered sacred by the ancient Mayan and Aztec cultures of Central America and played an important role in their civilizations. Today, birders and photographers come from all over the world to catch a glimpse of its beautiful colors and long tail covers.

We left bright and early, slowly climbing into the mountains and watching the city around us disappear. Before we knew it, we were high in the cloud forest, winding down the steep hillsides to the hotel where we would spend the next several days. After getting settled, we set out on our first shooting session on a hillside above the hotel. As soon as we arrived, a gorgeous emerald toucanet appeared and posed for us. It is always a treat when the first photos of a trip are keepers! We spent the rest of the day photographing hummingbirds darting around.

The next morning, we were up well before the sun for the main event: the resplendent quetzal. Our local guide picked us up and took us to a place where they had been sighted recently. Our group quietly got set up in the dark, anxious for our first glimpse. As the light grew, our guide said it wouldn’t be long now. Sure enough, we soon saw flashes of green through the branches. Eventually, they worked their way out into the open and perched right in front of us. It is always a special experience to see such a magnificent creature in its natural environment. We were some happy photographers that morning!

We were able to photograph several more quetzals and countless hummingbirds, woodpeckers, orioles, and more over the next day. After one last lunch at my favorite restaurant in Costa Rica, we departed the cloud forest and turned our attention to the next leg of the adventure.

When we reconvened in San Jose, we were joined by four more guests and all were eager for what was to come. The next morning we boarded a small plane to the Osa Peninsula. This is where we would spend our time and for good reason. Costa Rica makes up about .03% of the world’s land mass, yet contains nearly 5% of the world’s species. Of those species, nearly half are found in the Osa Peninsula, making it the perfect place for wildlife photographers.

We landed in Puerto Jimenez and were immediately whisked away to our first shooting opportunity at Osa Interactive Gardens. This property is an excellent place for macro photography and gives us the opportunity to photograph many wild critters with the help of the local guides. We shot red-eyed tree frogs, parrot snakes, tarantulas, iguanas, and more. This is always a highlight of our Costa Rica trips and this year was especially productive for us.

After our macro session, we continued along the peninsula to our home base for the week, a beautiful hotel on the waters of Drake Bay. From here we are set up to shoot some incredibly wildlife-rich environments along the coast, including the famous Corcovado National Park. Corcovado has one of the largest primary forests on the American Pacific coastline and because of that protected habitat, it is very rich in biodiversity.

After some delicious Costa Rican coffee and breakfast, we hopped in a small boat to travel to Corcovado. After making a landing on the beach and checking in with the rangers, we hit the trails, cameras in hand. Within minutes we had stumbled upon a troop of squirrel monkeys. These small and quick-moving monkeys are always a challenge to shoot, but this group came quite close, allowing us multiple opportunities for nice shots. As we walked the park trails, we encountered an unending stream of wildlife. We saw all four species of monkeys, a tamandua, tapirs, owls, hawks, iguanas, and so much more. It was hot and humid in the jungle, but we pushed on in the name of photography. We returned late that afternoon with full memory cards and enjoyed some well-deserved cold drinks!

We spent the next few days settling into the rhythm of the Osa. We were busy shooting as many animals as we could. We took a boat trip up the Sierpe River where we saw more bird life than I could count. We also did a bird tour on foot from the hotel where we had great opportunities to photograph several large toucans. In addition to our photography, we also took time to relax and enjoy the paradise in front of us.

With the sheer number of animals in this part of Costa Rica, you never seem to go that long without seeing something interesting. While we were at our hotel we had several visits from a pair of scarlett macaws. They always seemed to appear when we were least expecting them. Whether we were walking to the beach, finishing up breakfast, or relaxing on the deck,  whenever we heard their distinct call, we would all rush to grab our cameras. These iconic birds gave us plenty of opportunities as they bounced from branch to branch feeding on nuts. I think I can safely say it was one of the group’s favorite encounters of the entire trip.

We wrapped up the trip at the La Perica Sloth Gardens. Run by our friend Dennis and his family, this property offers close-up views of wild sloths. These elusive animals are not fed or baited but naturally gravitate to this habitat on their own. We were able to see and photograph a couple of mothers with young babies. It was pretty amazing. Of course, it is always hard to know what is the best part of this activity: the sloths, or Dennis’ grandma’s homemade empanadas. With full memory cards and stomachs, we left for the airport to catch our flight back to San Jose.

As we approached the sprawling metropolis of San Jose, it almost seemed surreal to think of how many different animals we had photographed over the course of a week. At our final dinner, we agreed that Costa Rica is a special place and a must-visit for wildlife photographers. As always, these trips are made by the camaraderie and friendships found along the way. Thanks to all who came and I am already looking forward to the next adventure!