One of my plans for this second visit to Punta Leona was to photograph lots of interesting sea creatures in the Tidepools of Playa Mantas at low tide. Well, the low tide time I could go out for was cloudy and misty rain, but that is okay if there are sea creatures! 🙂 But I was disappointed with no starfish, seahorses, blowfish, crabs, etc! Only a couple of minnow-like fish, lots of broken up coral and shells and some fossils and lichen. But below this introductory photo are photos of what I did find and it was interesting, even if not what I was expecting. I will try tidepools again in September when I’m on the Caribbean Coast and see if my luck is any better there. 🙂
Rocky Tidepools circled in RED where most photos were made.
Broken Dead Coral Bits
Playa Mantas Tidepools, Costa Rica
Playa Mantas Tidepools, Costa Rica
Fossils
Playa Mantas, Costa Rica
Playa Mantas, Costa Rica
Playa Mantas, Costa Rica
Broken Seashells
Playa Mantas, Costa Rica
Playa Mantas, Costa Rica
Tiny Fish
Lichen, Seaweed & Other Marine Plants
Playa Manta Tidepools, Costa Rica
with Lichen or Seaweed behind it.
Playa Mantas Tidepools, Costa Rica
Unidentified Items
Tidepools of Playa Mantas, Costa Rica
Tidepools of Playa Mantas, Costa Rica
Low Tide on Playa Mantas
¡Pura Vida!
My 2025 Punta Leona GALLERY is now finished!
Interesting photos, Charlie. Thought of you earlier today. Noticed that Samford University, my alma mater, has opened a Latin American Study Campus near San Jose for “a live-study-serve cultural opportunity” for students. 10-20 students at a time, they say. Lots of possibilities. They didn’t do stuff like this much when I was going there 60 years ago.
Yeah, same for me! I would have loved something like that when I was at Ouachita University in Arkansas. I settled for 2 summers of “student summer mission work” during college, just going to other parts of the U.S.
There are several U.S. & European universities with programs all over Costa Rica now. I often observe one from the University of Vienna since one of my favorite jungle lodges (Esquinas Rainforest Lodge) is next door and also run by Austrians. It is a “Rainforest Field Station” where all kinds of research is going on most of the time and some with students from the University of Costa Rica.
Beautiful images. I love all the treasures you found in the tide pools.
Thanks Beth! It was a new experience for me and fun even though I didn’t find Starfish & Seahorses. 🙂