For wildlife photographers, this biodiversity translates into a dynamic and fast-paced shooting experience, where wildlife is popping out all the time, whether seeking it out or just sitting and enjoying a cup of coffee at one of the incredible ecolodges where we base our tours. One of my favorites of these lodges is Bosque Del Cabo. This beautiful and sprawling property encompasses over 700 acres of primary and secondary forest perched in the Osa’s highlands. It is one of the most productive forests on the Osa in terms of wildlife. For our January group, our daily sightings consisted of multiple species of toucan, scarlet macaw, coati, and collared peccary. The property also maintains a complex network of trails that traverse the raw nature of the rainforest. We hiked every morning and afternoon, coming across parrots, trogons, monkeys, and sloths.
Bosque Del Cabo is a property like no other for its natural beauty, but also because it is staffed by an incredible group of nature-loving locals; which brings me to the next reason Costa Rica is my favorite destination, the incredible people that live here, the Ticos and Ticas. Costa Rica is a country of welcoming and warmth, a place where outsiders are accepted and embraced, a place where locals love to share the beauty of their country and culture. Throughout my travels to other countries, it has at times been difficult to feel like an outsider. But, this is a feeling I’ve never felt in Costa Rica. And that same hospitality extended from our next lodge as well, Aguila de Osa of Drake Bay.
Drake Bay is on the opposite side of the Peninsula as Bosque Del Cabo. Whereas Bosque is perched in the dense rainforests of the Osa’s highlands, Aguila is a beachside eco-resort accessible only by boat. Drake Bay itself is a protected bay created by the protective reach of the peninsula itself. It is one of the best locations to snorkel, dive, and see whales in Costa Rica, but we come here for its proximity to Corcovado National Park and the ability to access the park by boat. Corcovado is regarded as one of the most pristine parks in the world, where over 99% of the park is completely inaccessible to visitors, set aside for the wildlife. But that 1% that is accessible benefits from these protected areas, as wildlife abounds here. It is the only national park in Costa Rica large and diverse enough to support large populations of megafauna like tapir, jaguar, and puma.
Our Corcovado excursion began with an early morning departure by boat. Our small vessel skirted the coastline, making our way south towards the park. But, along the way we came across a beautiful sight. A mother humpback whale and her calf playing at the surface. After pausing to enjoy these incredible cetaceans, we set back out only to be stopped again by a curious pod of pantropical spotted dolphins.