12-February 6/19.

We arrived after 2 hour tractor trailer ride out of the bush plus 3-4 hrs on private bus and then 1.5 hrs on river boat atlast around noon. In the afternoon and after lunch we took another boat to Tortuguero town. It’s on an island that it’s back door is the Caribbean Sea. It’s not at all like the turquoise water I’m used to seeing but pounding waves like on the pacific side.

Johnny …our guide of waters of Tortuguero National park

80 km north of Limon

Tortuguero national park is 76,000 hectares, another eco park north of here….. together total 130,000 hectares incl water areas

Jesus Christ iguana

Howler monkey family

Tiger heron

Huge iguana

Green heron… littlest. Not green but eggs are

Blue heron turns white in 6-7 months .. not to be confused with snowy egret.

Wild almond tree aka ironwood… huge can live 400-500 yrs

Little itty bitty bats on almond called ”long nose bats”

Beautiful but deadly trees…. mimosa… somewhat kacy leaves will kill fish if cut and sap goes into water… leaves close at night

Songsreef…little brown bird

Needlebill… anihas… spear the fish

2yr old cayman in the floating grass

Spoonbill night heron …family with babies … beautiful…. quite large.

Family of baby Caymans… sun bathing. ….twitching away flies

2-toed sloth….blob up in mimosa tree

Bamboo brought from Asia as support for banana trees… now all over. When bananas get heavy with fruits will collapse because banana is 80% water.

Heliconia plant 32 varieties in CR… used as ornamentals…. similar to banana leafs

Spider monkey Central American brown monkey… long tail for hanging on when reach for food. Saw but no picture of small black river turtle

Cocoas… green hanging

Bloodwood or “antiseptic” tree … half circle to scoop leaves …composting. For making drums

more spider monkey… 12-14 only in troupe

Can hear Oro-pendulum Montezuma bird but could’t see it. Did later

Finally a 3-toed sloth on the move

Nefula spider web used for bulletin proof vests

Alligator tree also antiseptic tree… got spikes.

Turtles 1.5 metres across…350 kilo in weight.

Jaquar’s feed on turtles not eggs

Slaty-tail trogan

Puffbird…2