A flora and fauna filled day. Started with a 6 am boat tour through the tortuguero river and canals. Some of the canals were constructed for logging a hundred years ago but since the park was created in 1980, they are natural now.
Our guide described the lasso on a stick that he used to catch iguanas as a child. Iguanas were a major part of his diet. My favorite lizard looks just like a leaf so very hard to spot. It is named the 'Jesus Christ Lizard' because with its webbed feet, it can skitter on top of the water so it can walk on water.
This is not a cormorant but is a diving bird that evolved just like one. It has to dry out its wings to fly. When it is in the water, it is too heavy to float above and only its neck shows and is locally called a 'snake bird'
These little waders live in the floating vegetation. The underside of its wings are bright yellow making quite a show when it flies.
This one meter croc relative is quite skittish but didn't retreat as we got close.
After breakfast and many coffees, I used my day admission to the National Park to hike the 'Jaguar Trail'. But first, the water taxi to town.
There are more than thirty jaguars in the park (seen with game cams and distinguished from eachother with spot patterns).
the jaguar trail is a beautiful easy two-mile stroll but thick with life.
Parades of leaf-cutter ants. These guys are actually farmers. They take the leaf scraps, compost them. Then the compost grows mushrooms which is the main food source of the ants.
After that hot walk, a passionfruit smoothy was delicious.
Siesta time and very little time to work on my autobiography. Too much nature.
Having traveled in Central and South America during the 1980s, I enjoyed this photographic tour and especially the advice on what to do if you encounter a jaguar. Looking forward to future communications.