Must See Animals in Costa Rica
Costa Rica proudly shelters 5% of the existing biodiversity in the world. 25% of the country is composed of conservation and natural protected territory therefore, wildlife is visible everywhere.
Sloths
Costa Rica is one of the few countries in the world that has both two toed and three toed sloths
You will find them all over Costa Rica however, you just have to look up really high as they tend to stay high up.
Manuel Antonio National Park never disappoints when it comes to finding a sloth or any of the most must see animals you expect to find in Costa Rica.
Monkeys
White faced and squirrel monkeys: Manuel Antonio National Park is the perfect place to see both of these species all year round.
Howler Monkeys: You will hear one before you see one. Howler monkeys can be heard and seen all year round throughout many of Costa Rica’s national parks.
Spider monkeys: These monkeys are most often seen in Manuel Antonio national park and Corcovado National Parks all year round.
Whales
From December to March Humpback whales call the warm south pacific waters home.
Marino Ballena National Park is a great location to go whale watching, which also happens to have a whale tail shaped coast.
Families can take a boat tour out on the pacific and watch baby whales being taught how to swim by their mothers.
Away from the whales you will also have a chance to jump in to the pacific for a swim, the waters here are warm all year round.
Turtles
Turtle nesting is one of the top must see experiences in Costa Rica and truly magical.
There are four different types of turtle species Leatherback, Green turtles, Oliver Ridleys and Hawksbill.
Leatherback: On the Caribbean they nest from March to July. On the Pacific they nest from September to March.
Green turtles: They nest from June to October along the North Caribbean, especially in Tortuguero.
Olive Ridleys: Found along the Pacific coast, they nest throughout the year. Although on many of the beaches the nesting is concentrated from July to November
Hawksbill: This species nest in Cahuita National Park in September and October and can be found foraging in the Golfo Dulce.
Birds
There are over 900 species of bird in Costa Rica. The largest diversity of birds is found during September and October, and March and April. However, most tropical residents are found within the country all year-round.
Bird watching is a much loved excursion by all ages, even those who would never consider going bird watching can’t help but spot the different species flying around.
Quetzals- Said to be the most attractive bird in Costa Rica. These small and cute birds have striking green and red colouring. However, their small size, camouflaged colours and very fast moves make them hard to spot and event harder to capture on camera.
Best place to find them is at Montevrde Cloud Forest and Los Quetzales National Park, which is located in the Pacific side from the Talamanca Mountain Range. The best time to see them is during mid-February to May on avocado trees.
Hummingbird – There is 50 different species of hummingbirds in Costa Rica. They typically nest during the dry season months of December through April therefore, may be more reclusive during these months.
Scarlet Macaw: This species was nearly extinct in Costa Rica however, due to the countries efforts in sustainability and protection of national parks the Macaws are growing in population. You can now hear their distinctive sound as they fly across the sky in pairs. They can be seen on the Osa Peninsula and around the Carara Biological Reserve.
Tree Frogs
Usually linked with Costa Rica the famous small tree frogs can be found all year round however, you will particularly find them spotted in the lowland rainforests of Tortuguero National Park, Manuel Antonio National Park and in the cooler regions of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.
Many people assume they are either poisonous or harmful due to their striking red eyes however, they are neither.
They may be small in size but they are excellent jumpers and climbers.
Butterflies
In Costa Rica you don’t have to go looking for butterflies they come to you. You can find them everywhere.
Many national parks have butterfly houses with many species of butterflies eating mango and pineapple from your hands.
Around 18% of the world’s species can be found in Costa Rica, as well as 90% of the species that are found in Central America.
The blue morpho butterfly is the most famous butterfly in Costa Rica. This is one of the largest butterflies in the world, with a wingspan of 20 centimetres (8 inches). You will most likely see its huge vibrant blue wing fly past you.
