I can’t wind down my reports on Rio Tarcoles without mentioning the American Crocodile, Crocodylus acutus (my gallery link) which is what brings some tourists to the Tarcoles River, with the “Crocodile Bridge” on Ruta 34 over the Tarcoles being a popular stop for tourists to walk out over the river on the pedestrian lane of the bridge to look down on many crocodiles, often sunning on a sand bar. Warning if coming this year, they are working on the bridge, to widen it, and thus many traffic stops! 🙂 Plus you see the crocs up closer on one of the several boat tours from the village of Tarcoles. I always choose “Crocodile Jungle Safari” because they are the best boat to see the most birds, which have priority over crocs for me. Here’s 2 shots from our February 17 trip (with more in the above linked gallery) . . .
And by the way, for you United States readers, this is the same crocodile that you might get a glimpse of in the Florida Everglades NP, though there (and all over South Florida) it is mostly the American Alligator which is smaller than the crocodile and doesn’t live in Costa Rica. Our small crocodilian is the “Spectacled Caiman,” which is even smaller than the American Crocodile and possible all over Costa Rica. They can be in the same waters, but tend to avoid each other because of food competition, plus the Caiman cannot tolerate salt water (as in the Tarcoles) like Crocodiles can, thus none on the lower Tarcoles near the mouth.
¡Pura Vida!