This Neotropical River Otter (Lutra longicaudis) is eating an eel alive. The writhing creature didn’t stand a chance against the otter’s dexterous paws and sharp teeth, but it made a terrific holiday feast on a muddy bank of the Sarapiqui River. This photograph was taken on Christmas Day in 2010.
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Magnificent Frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) soar over both the Caribbean and Pacific shores of Costa Rica. This male of the species, identified by the red pouch at the bird’s throat, was photographed from a boat at Tortuguero.
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Although Anhingas (Anhinga anhinga) are water birds that swim with their bodies submerged, their feathers are not waterproof. Anhingas perch with their wings outstretched so they dry more quickly after diving to spear small fish with their pointed beaks. This female has a brown neck instead of a black one like the males of the species.
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Roseate Spoonbills (Platalea ajaja) are members of the Threskiornithidae family, along with Ibises. Usually, I have encountered these large, pink wading birds along sea shores, so it was a surprise to see one peering with its flat bill from the low branches of a tree. Roseate Spoonbills can be found in Costa Rica on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. This one was photographed at the Golfo Dulce.
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Sally Lightfoot Crabs (Graspus graspus) can be found on rocks at or above the spray line on both the Caribbean and Pacific shores of Costa Rica. This photograph was taken along the gorgeous stretch of rocky beach at the Corcovado National Park, Osa Peninsula.
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Smaller than the American Crocodile, the Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus) is the only other member of the Crocodylidae family that lives in Costa Rica. The primary distinguishing feature is a transverse ridge in front of the eyes. Caimans are common in lowland rivers, streams, ponds, and mangroves, where there is a lot of rainfall. This one was photographed from a kayak near Tortuguero.
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This young Northern Jaçana (Jacana spinosa) was so adorable that I wanted to take it home. The little bird and its companions were unafraid of the boat, and just kept hunting for water bugs as we slowly drifted past snapping pictures. Their extraordinarily long toes allow Northern Jaçana to walk on the web of plant life that floats on the Tortuguero river. Adults of the species have black bellies instead of white, and no stripe above the eye.
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A Brown Pelican takes flight over the Golfo Dulce on a sunny day in Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula.
With their large, distinctive bills, Brown Pelicans (Pelicanus occidentalis) are easy to identify on the Pacific coast, where they are most prolific. They soar a few feet above the waves, scan for fish, and dive head first into the water to scoop up a meal.
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Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula) can be distinguished from other white herons in Costa Rica by their slender black bill. They also have black legs with yellow feet, which aren’t visible on this specimen that I found wading in the shadows one morning in Torguguero.
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Apparently stuffed, a motionless American Crocodile holds his next bite – a large fish – in his toothy jaws.
Crocodilians, along with birds, are the closest living relatives of the dinosaurs. The American Crocodile can be found in large rivers and streams of Costa Rica, and often in the tidal, brackish water where rivers meet the sea. This crocodile was resting on a flat of mud one evening near the mouth of the Tortuguero River.
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