Costa Rica Gone "Wild"

As I continue the series on my recent travels to the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica, a highlight was a few, unexpected surprises.  One of our side trips was a venture back to the old gold mine town of Puerto Jimenez, the largest town in the Osa Peninsula.  This is where we flew in to the airstrip from San Jose, Costa Rica a few days prior.

The Caiman crocodile was just plain cool to see.  I named him "Smiley" for his pearly whites.  This was taken with my Tamron 150-600mm from a getaway quick distance if needed as I totally respected his space.  

These guys can move when they want too with a land speed of over 11 miles per hour.

Caiman Crocodile "Smiley" by Sheen's Nature Photography

Later that night, we went frog hunting with our knowledgeable guide. The night has all sorts of slithery creatures.  The red-eyed green tree frog all but glowed in the dark rainforest.  His chartreuse skin and crimson eyes lit up the night.  

Red-eyed Green Tree Frog by Sheen's Nature Photography

The same night we photographed the curious little fruit bat.  They could be seen during the day as they would cluster together in the heavy, long leaves that made a perfect shady home during daylight.  At night, they flew out as groups and some solo operators remained behind for a little extra rest time before taking off to join the rest of the bats.

Fruit Bat Stare-down, Sheen's Nature Photography

Both the tree-frog and the fruit bat were taken using a Nikon 70-200 2.8mm along with a speedlight in order to bring out the details.

Along the way we did a few stops to see the Scarlet McCaw and the Tropical Screech owl that were along the dirt, well-bumped road (it's Costa Rica, rough roads are part of the charm) and streams.  Stay tuned for the Costa Rican bird blog coming soon.

Happy Shooting!