COSTA RICA: Beaches, Mangroves and Wildlife in Tamarindo

Tamarindo has beautiful beaches. 

We love walking them because there is always something pretty.

Beyond the beaches are also many interesting things to see.

Tamarindo, and all of Costa Rico, is host to a very diverse eco system.

We had to get out early in the morning for our beach walks in Tamarindo because of the heat. 

Highs of 34C (93F for those of you using Fahrenheit)

 and lows of about 24C (75F.)

The mangroves are another world.

They host another complex eco system. 

Tours with a naturalist open the doors a whole new perspective beyond the beautiful beaches.

And going with someone that knows what they are doing makes good sense to me.

There is an abundance of different bird species. 

I make no claims to be a birder. 

I might remember a couple of the names. 

iPhone pictures do not do them justice.

Having said that, you need to appreciate the patience and skill required to find the wildlife enmeshed in the foliage.

Which is where the naturalist comes in handy with the knowledge and ability to find things for us.

We found howler monkeys high in the trees.

We saw mothers swinging from trees with babies clinging to their chests.

You'll definitely find better pictures in National Geographic, but the thrill of finding them is very fun.

Then there are many other critters.

Crabs.

But the big thrill is finding crocodiles. Especially when everywhere looks like this and it is not easy to spot them.

I have to admit, I am a coward, and to be honest, NOT finding a crocodile is also ok with me.

I was thinking we weren't going to find one. And then our eagle eyed naturalist found this one in a mess of mangroves. 

He is just a young one - maybe about 7 years old.

He looks peaceful and harmless enough. But, I have no intention of stirring the beast to find out.

After we got our pictures our guide alerted his colleague to the location.

All in all though, I have to say, this might just have been the scariest thing I saw all day....