Because the schedules for the research assistants are sporadic, each Tuesday we have a scheduled group activity. This week we chose to go to the local lodge to swim. Since we can’t swim in the river (pollutants, crocodiles) or the sea (strong currents), the STC has a good relationship with the local lodges where we can use their pools. While there, we ordered smoothies and swam for a little over an hour.
We saw Great Green Macaws fly overhead and land in nearby trees. Rob and I jumped out of the pool to get a few pictures. There were less than 40 pairs of these birds in Costa Rica 15 years ago, and now their numbers are more than 2,000. The only other macaw native to Costa Rica is the Scarlet Macaw, but those are scarce in the wild due to the pet trade.
Great Green Macaw eating almonds.
Also at the lodge is a ranadio or frog pond. They breed native frogs and release them nearby and in an enclosed area for their guests to enjoy. Species include the red-eyed treefrog, tawny treefrog, green and black poison dart frog and strawberry poison dart frog.
Tawny Treefrog
Frog embryos on leaf overhanging water.
When we were ready to leave, we entered the lobby to pay for the smoothies. Air conditioning has never felt so weird. Only 8 days in Costa Rica without A/C, and I’ve gotten used to the heat and humidity. It was weird walking in to a climate-controlled room.
Tortuguero Traveler 