Category: South Caribbean

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Ara Project Visit in Manzanillo

Great Green Macaw
On property of Ara Project
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Great Green Macaw
On property of Ara Project
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Great Green Macaw
On property of Ara Project
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Great Green Macaw
On property of Ara Project
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
Macaws mate for life!

 

Great Green Macaw
On property of Ara Project
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Black-mandibled Toucan
On property of Ara Project (and probably stealing Macaw food!)
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

The Endangered Species Great Green Macaw (birdlife.org) (or an easier article on Wikipedia) is listed in my Costa Rica Bird Guide as “rare” or “uncommon” in just a few spots along the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica.

The Ara Project is one of the main reasons this endangered species is returning to Costa Rica. Click the Ara link to read about what they are doing in the Manzanillo area of Costa Rica with the Endangered Great Green Macaw and the less endangered larger population of Scarlet Macaws on our Pacific Coast. Habitat loss is the problem for both species and they help by providing Macaw housing in trees along the Caribbean coast. They have a hospital for injured birds or orphaned babies, but the others are all free and wild but come back “home” in Manzanillo for socializing, food that is provided, and some still use the tree houses or even hollows in trees here because it is a community of Green Macaws.

They exist in 3 other Central American countries and 2 in South America, but endangered throughout their habitat and rare or uncommon to find with fewer than 1,000 total left on earth. So I am thrilled about getting many photos here! The guided tour is set for the same time every afternoon when they are feeding which guarantees you photos. My guide was a Bribri young man named Duaro who is so knowledgeable about the birds and their services there and also speaks very good English! His Uncle Alex was my guide the next day to see birds in the Bribri Reserve (another post coming on that).

 

 

And of course there is my BIRDS PHOTO GALLERY with 200 species from Costa Rica now!
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Manzanillo Beach

View from My Beach-side Hammock  (3-pix panorama)
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica

 

Looking to the Left
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica
Looking to the Right
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica
Dangerous Currents – No Swimming!
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica
Yeah! They had a sign in English too, but this one more interesting!  🙂

 

Maybe Dangerous, But Fun Waves for Many!
And many swim anyway and/or try to surf – “At Your Own Risk”
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica

 

Multiple Caution Signs Protect the Hotel
And are probably required by their Insurance Co.
And “No Life Guards” is indicated at check-in
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica
Barefoot Beach Futbol (Soccer)
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica
And by the way, ALL BEACHES ARE PUBLIC in Costa Rica! There are no private or hotel only beaches.

 

Local Boys – Not Tourists!
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica
Tourists Walk By, Watching the Soccer Game
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica
American, Canadian, European, South American? All nationalities here!
Though Asian visitors seem to be mostly on the Pacific side and inland. 
And Someone Kayaks By Our Beach
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica

 

Sundown Mist One Evening
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica
This beach was not positioned right for the
sometimes beautiful Caribbean sunrises
Like this one at Tortuguero
and on wrong side of country for sunsets! 🙂

I am not a “Beach Person” as some people call themselves, not liking to swim in the ocean at all! But I do love to visit and walk on the many beautiful beaches here. Some friends ask me to compare the Atlantic and Pacific beaches and that is difficult.

It is almost down to specific beach compared to specific beach. In general the Caribbean (or the Atlantic beaches) are less developed with more wildness and more natural things than much of the Pacific, though the Osa Peninsula or Corcovado National Park is a big exception on the Pacific side as are some other “South Pacific” beaches. In the north or Guanacaste there are a few pretty beaches but overall I think it is over-developed and I thought the famous Tamarindo Beach was ugly and overcrowded! Jaco is pretty but also overcrowded, especially on weekends as the closest beach to San Jose. South of there at Manual Antonio National Park there are two gorgeous beaches that are very crowded, both the one in the park and the one outside the park.

I still have a lot of exploring to do before I even think about ranking beaches. Then there is the important reason or purpose! Are you a surfer, swimmer, sunbather, fisher, or photographer? Each beach is different for each purpose. And there are a lot of choices! If you believe travel articles, here is one on “The Best Beaches” by “Costa Rica Experts.”  You will not find Manzanillo listed though it is one the nicer ones I have visited and least crowded! Then here’s an article on “Costa Rica’s 6 Most Stunning Beaches” by TicoTimes, the online English language Gringo newspaper. And travel sites like TripAdvisor rank the ones that hotels and resorts pay them to rank best, so don’t believe everything commercial sites say. For example Tamarindo is promoted as one of the best, but after my visit there, it is one of my least favorite, remembering that I do not like crowds, commercialism and a lack of nature. So maybe that is why I favor the Caribbean beaches more than most people.

See also my VISTA GALLERIES for Caribbean Beaches  and  Pacific Beaches

 

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Safari Hotel – Almonds & Corals Manzanillo

My Room, a large wall tent on platform.
Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

 

Two Four-poster Beds
Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Aff Hammock for daytime resting
Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Sink, toilet & Shower beyond the Hot Tub
Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

The “Hallways” between Room, Dining, Beach
Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica
Covered Outdoor Dining Room
Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

And Short Walk to the Beach
Almonds & Corals Hotel, Manzanillo, Costa Rica
Wood Carving of a Toucan by Office
Almonds & Corals Hotel, 
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

Note that this property is right on a beautiful beach which I will show in a separate post. AND many of the photos of animals were photographed right here on the hotel property in the jungle! It is truly living in the rainforest of South Caribbean Costa Rica. The beaches and towns on the Caribbean side are smaller, less crowded, more rustic and more natural than the much more developed Pacific Coast. And less expensive! But both sides have a lot to offer! And the reason I live in Central Valley instead of either coast is that both coasts are very hot and humid year-around and more expensive. But from the Central Valley I can easily visit both coasts and live in “The best weather in the world!”  🙂

 

PURA VIDA!

 

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Other Animals at Manzanillo

Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth
Kekoldi Bribri Reserve near Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
Cool! He was at eye-level right along-side the hiking path.
Closest I have ever been to one in the wild like this.

 

Central American Spider Monkey
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Mantled Howler Monkey
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Central American Agouti
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
Northern Tamandua Anteater
Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
In field outside entrance to Jaguar Rescue Center
Sand Crab
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
These guys were all along the board walk between my tent & the beach.

 

Black-mandibled Toucan
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
Flying over the Ara Project grounds
Forgot him on the birds day! 🙂

See my galleries of birds, insects and other animals + people/places in my new galleries:

Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA  & scroll down for the folders of gallery categories.
PURA VIDA!

TOMORROW I will show you my unique safari tent hotel in Manzanillo and the following day photos of the beautiful beach right outside my tent. And finally, three days of reports on the three institutions I visited while in the South Caribbean: The Ara Project (Green Macaws), Jaguar Rescue Center, and the Kekoldi Bribri Indigenous People Reserve.

I expect to explore the Caribbean every September which is the month this rainforest area of Costa Rica has the least amount of rain and thus less hiking in mud! (Interestingly September is the month the rest of Costa Rica has the most rain.) My favorite spot in the Caribe so far is in the north Caribbean coast, Tortuguero National Park. It is a favorite place to take guests from the states, so I will go there any time of the year and hope to make it there sometime when the turtles are laying their eggs, March-May for Leatherbacks and July-October for Green Turtles. So I will never run out of something to do in the Caribbean of any other part of Costa Rica with so many parks and places I am yet to visit! The adventures continue! What a retirement!

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Butterflies & Other Insects at Manzanillo

Grasshopper (1 of 11,000+ species)
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Golden Orb Spider
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Whitened Bluewing Butterfly
Restaurant Selva Tropical Butterfly Garden, Guapiles, Costa Rica
On the highway to the Caribe

 

Common Mytip Butterfly
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

 

Green Page Moth
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Isabella’s Tiger Longwing or Heliconianf Butterfly
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Sara Longwing Butterfly
Restaurant Selva Tropical Butterfly Garden, Guapiles, Costa Rica
On the highway to the Caribe

 

Helcale Longwing or Heart-spotted Helconian
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Giant Swallowtail Butterfly
Restaurant Selva Tropical Garden, Guapiles, Costa Rica
On the highway to the Caribe

 

Almond Eyes Owl-butterfly
Restaurant Selva Tropical Butterfly Garden, Guapiles, Costa Rica
On the highway to the Caribe

 

Emerald Patches Cattleheart Butterfly
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Blue Morpho Butterfly
Restaurant Selva Tropical Butterfly Garden, Guapiles, Costa Rica
On the highway to the Caribe

 

Giant Skipper Butterfly
Restaurant Selva Tropical Butterfly Garden, Guapiles, Costa Rica
On the highway to the Caribe

See my BUTTERFLY PHOTO GALLERY
and/or
See my OTHER INSECTS PHOTO GALLERY

My collections are growing! The adventure never ends!

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Amphibians & Reptiles Seen in Manzanillo

Red-eyed Tree Frog
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Strawberry Dart Frog
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Black & Green Dart Frog
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Yellow Eyelash Pitviper
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
In a tree on the boardwalk path to my tent, but they avoid people!

 

Yellow-headed Gecko
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
At the Ara Project

 

Emerald Basilisk
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
My favorite lizard. Like a little dinosaur!

See my AMPHIBIANS PHOTO GALLERY

 
 
Both are part of my larger “Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA” photo gallery

This post continues my report on a 4-night visit to Manzanillo in the South Caribbean area off Costa Rica about a week ago.

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15+ Bird Species Photographed in Manzanillo!

Great Green Macaw, Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

 

There were more seen but just 15 with decent photographs and I will share more photos of the Great Green Macaw later with info on the Ara Project. Some of these birds like the above are only found on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica.

 

Pale-billed Woodpecker
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Cinnamon Woodpecker
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Chestnut-colored Woodpecker
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
Keel-billed Toucan
Kekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

a

Collared Aracari
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Common Black Hawk
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
Photographed in tree next to my tent at Almonds & Corals.
Roadside Hawk
Kekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

 

 

One of the “New World Warblers” maybe Yellow
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

 

Shining Honeycreeper
Kekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

 

Squirrel Cuckoo
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Variable Seedeater
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
Turkey Vulture
Kekoldi Bribri Indigenous Reserve, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
We also saw Kites, Hawks and Falcons flying high above, but no good photos.

 

Chestnut-backed Antbird
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
By the entrance to my tent at Almonds & Corals
Note that he is eating an insect, worm or whatever?

 

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

 

Black-mandibled Toucan
Photographed at the Ara Project and added after original post.
Manzanillo, Costa Rica

All of these birds were wild in the forests of Manzanillo or Kekoldi. I saw a few more in captivity at the Jaguar Rescue Center in Puerto Viejo but not included here. See that post.

And I have a BIRDS PHOTO GALLERY with many more species! And the new ones here will be added very soon!

 

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Last Post Until Tuesday

It seemed like thousands of acres of bananas enroute to the Caribbean.

The Cariblue Hotel is a collection of jungle huts.

Hotel is on the beach at Puerto Viejo.

Though Puerto Viejo is mostly a hippie surfer town, I’m in an upscale hotel.
But only for Thursday night (last night). Friday to Monday is roughing it
in the Bribri village. No more electricity or internet until Tuesday. 

Three others from the club are in this hotel a day early. Very interesting people! This is going to be fun! One guy still works for the World Bank and another is/was a computer software guru with close ties to Apple, IBM, and Microsoft.

See ya’ Tuesday.