Costa Rica: Corcovado - Hiking with Tapir

After leaving Pavones we booked a ferry to Corcovado National Park. The park is located on a peninsula on the South West coast of Costa Rica but we had to take a ferry because the jungle is so thick that you can't get a car through it unless you have four wheel drive. Which we didn't have and even with four wheel drive it is a very difficult drive. 

Once the van was parked in the car lot down the street we ate lunch at a cafe near the ferry docks. As we waited we also bought beautiful hand carved masks.

As soon as the ferry (which was really a big boat, not like what you would think of as a ferry) arrived there was a huge line but luckily we were all able to squeeze on. Once the line was gone and everyone had boarded we drove out of the river and into the ocean. 

It took us out a river and then along the ocean shore and was a bit rough but within an hour the boat pulled up close to the shore. All the passengers were hustled off the boat so they could go back to the ferry launch in time. We waded up onto the beach and there was a jeep waiting for us there. As we entered the jungle the road was windier and bumpier the farther we drove. Soon we arrived at Naguala Eco lodge in a beautiful clearing in the rainforest. Our cabin was made of all natural material and had lots of netting to keep the bugs out. There was even a small bat roosting on the outside of the cabin.

Once we unpacked our stuff at the cabin we went down to the main hall. The owner of the eco lodge took us on a tour of the grounds. He was really nice and since we were the only ones staying there at the moment he even took us hiking to a nearby waterfall. On the way we he pointed out a rare bird called a Lovely Cotinga. It was very vibrant with blue and purple feathers.

 The hiking trail followed the river bed occasionally crossing the river and continuing on the other side. Towards the end, the river became the trail and soon we came across a magnificent waterfall with light reflecting off the mist around it. We walked around the waterfall and even took a quick swim. 

Once we arrived back at the eco lodge the tours final stop was the water pump where they generate the entire lodge's energy as well as clean drinking water. Soon the sun fell below the horizon and we had a delicious dinner at the main hall. 

Early next morning we left on the jeep again and back to the beach. We met with our guide at a small cafe by the beach. Soon a boat showed up to take us into the park. We boarded the boat along with a small group of passengers. The boat stopped as close to shore as possible and we jumped into the shin high water. After wading to shore we had to dispose all plastic water bottles, food or any other kind of trash before we started hiking. All the groups went their separate ways and our guide took us down the shoreline. The beach was covered in drift wood and kelp along with this poor baby sea turtle we found.

There were some paw prints on the beach as well and our guide said they were most likely Coatimundi prints. Since they were in the sand it was very easy to follow. The tracks led us directly to a Coati catching crabs in the maze of driftwood.

We watched the Coati for a bit before he disappeared into the brush. Up ahead a river was feeding into the ocean. Unfortunately our trail entrance was on the river bank that was parallel to the ocean so we crossed as carefully as we could watching out for any crocodiles. 

 As soon as we entered the jungle there were Spider Monkeys swinging through the branches above us. They jumped from branch to branch and even made a big leap to a lower branch right above our heads.

The Spider Monkeys swung away and we continued on. The hike was really nice and the rainforest was amazing. There were all sorts of bird life including Trogons like the one Kaden saw at the Quetzal National Park. There is a ton of different species of Trogon like this yellow one called a Guainan Trogon. And the second one is a Slaty-Tailed Trogon but it is hard to tell.

We stopped at a small rest area in an open field after hiking most of the day. After a quick stop we ventured onward into the rainforest. Our guide heard a Great Curassow call from way up in the trees. They mostly stay on the ground but when frightened they will fly up into the canopy to escape danger. 

They are actually quite large and when they fly they make a ton of noise. There was also a few Squirrel Monkeys scrambling around in the tree tops as well. We watched as it leaped and climbed playfully through the vines and tree limbs. 

We kept on the move and not far down the trail we spotted a small flock of Crested Guan. It is quite unusual to see them on the ground but they do fly down to feed on fallen fruit from time to time.

The hike was amazing. Even just being out in the rainforest was spectacular. All the diverse plants and animals that evolved to play a certain role in this intricate web of life. We were walking beneath massive trees and plants and feeling so tiny and insignificant compared to the world around us. Then our guide  stopped at a small side trail leading off into the brush. He told us to wait on the trail while he checked for Tapir down the trail. In less than a minute he returned and told us to follow him as quietly as possible. As we walked up the path we entered a small clearing without any bushes. And there he was - a Baird's Tapir. 

Many animals will visit spots frequently if there is a good food source or in this case a mud hole to rest in. As you can see in the last photo there is also a young Caiman in the water with the Tapir in the bottom right. Tapirs are known to stay close to water and on hot days they spend most of their day submerged in a pond or lake. They are Costa Rica's largest land mammal and tapir fossils date back to twenty million years ago (20,000,000yrs). The average full grown Tapir can be up to 650 pounds and grow up to 6 feet long. Soon we had to move on and leave quietly as possible. Our guide met other groups along the trail and sent them towards the tapir. After another hour of hiking the boat was set to return any minute so we walked back to the beach where we had arrived. On the way back there were these massive whale bones on one of the side trails. The ones in the middle are actually its spine which really puts into perspective how humongous whales are.

Once we were back on the boat we made a stop on another island where we had lunch on the beach as part of the tour. The food was great and as we ate we watched the Scarlet Macaws flying above us in the palm trees. Sadly all good things must come to an end so we had to go back. After another night at the eco-lodge we took the ferry back to the mainland.