Ted. The epicenter of biodiversity in Costa Rica is the Osa Peninsula in the extreme southern Pacific region of the country. Home of world famous Corcovado National Park, it is a mecca for those looking for animals, like jaguars that are rarely seen anywhere else. Sparsely populated and possessing lush rain forests right down to the beach, we quickly decided to add this place to our tour.
Our base for three days was the tiny community huddled on the shores of beautiful Drake Bay. Legend has it that this was the hiding spot for the English hero (or villain according to Spaniards), Sir Frances Drake.
Many, perhaps most animals in this part of the world are nocturnal so we were thrilled to learn about Tracie, “The Bug Lady.” A quick glance at her website, thenighttour.com, will demonstrate how excited we were to meet this bright young woman and her husband, Gianfranco. A native, like Judy, of Montgomery, Alabama, Tracie studied entomology at Auburn University and somehow ended up in one of the bug capitols of the world.
This charming couple led us on a three-hour nighttime stroll through the jungle that we will never forget. If one of the 26 species we encountered was too far away to see with the naked eye and hand held flashlight, Gianfranco set up his cool tool – a tripod mounted spotting scope with attached flashlight and mini iPad.
Our 8-year-old amateur naturalist grandson was most impressed with the Central American wandering spider (“Grandpa – those are deadly!!”) but I found the tailless whip scorpion to be much scarier looking.
Two days later, we visited the national park but I think that warrants it’s own post.
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Tailess Whip scorpion
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| Mesoamerican Tent-making Bats |
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| Central American Wandering Spider (2" long & DEADLY!!) |
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| Central American Woolly Opossum |
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