Toucans, King Vultures & Howler Monkeys - photos from my recent Costa Rica trip

I'm freshly back to cold Ontario after a great trip to Costa Rica. I've been there a couple times before, but it's been many years. It was everything I remembered and more! 

My trip started on the Nicoya Peninsula (Pacific coast) which was extremely hot and dry (drinking plenty of beer in the shade was necessary to stay refreshed). I stayed with friends in a big rental house overlooking the ocean at Playa Ostional, an area well-known for nesting sea turtles and great surfing. There were excellent opportunities to photograph waterbirds along the shoreline (see the brown pelican photo-bomb image below) and Howler Monkeys literally from our deck.  

Brown Pelican photo bomb, Nosara, Costa Rica.
Gear: Canon 1DX & 100-400 IS II

Howler Monkey, Ostional, Costa Rica
Gear: Canon 1DX & 100-400 IS II

After a week of the extreme coastal heat (including a couple down days due to heat/sun stroke), I headed inland to an ecolodge located in lowland Caribbean tropical forest. The place was amazingly well set-up for bird photographers and birders. Fruit feeders around a covered deck attracted a dizzying array of toucans, tanagers, honeycreepers and and other tropical birds. I shot thousands and thousands of photos in the span of only a couple days. At one point, I was thinking 'Come on, not another toucan." It was that good! 

Keel-billed Toucan, Costa Rica
Gear: Canon 1DX & 500/4 IS

Keel-billed Toucan, Costa Rica
Gear: Canon 1DX & 500/4 IS

Collared Aracaris, Costa Rica
Gear: Canon 1DX & 500/4 IS

King Vulture was high on my photographic wish list, so I joined up with another photographer I met at the lodge to rent a blind that was built specifically for shooting King Vultures. Spending 2 hours in there photographing this amazing vulture species up close was one of the all-time highlights in over 20 years as a bird photographer! A face only a mother can love?

King Vulture, Costa Rica
Gear: Canon 1DX & 500/4 IS + 1.34 III

The coastal scenery of Costa Rica never disappoints! San Juanillo was my favourite snorkeling location and great for sunsets too! 

Sunset at San Juanillo, Costa Rica
Gear: Canon 1DX & 24-70/4 L IS 

 I should end with a quick shout-out to the CPS (Canon Pro Servics) gang at Canon Canada, who saved my butt by loaning me a 1DX body after I had a wee accident with another body immediately before the trip. What fun it was to enjoy the blazingly fast frame rate of the 1DX.... a seriously badass camera! 

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala - a photographer's dream location!

Flowers frame the view of the Atitlan and Toliman volcanoes (stacked) from the village of Santa Cruz.

I'm staring out at the crystalline water of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, rimmed by verdantly forested volcanoes, thinking that I may have found paradise. It's a bit more than halfway through my trip and I'm already dreading the thought of leaving here[-15C back home in Ontario - oh shit!]. I stumbled across Guatemala while researching central American destinations for a photo trip/winter getaway. My criteria was that it was a country I hadn't visited before, an affordable rental I could use as a base for day tripping and plenty of great subjects to point my camera at. After seeing a few photos of the stunningly scenic Lake Atitlan, the decision was easy!

Dusk falls over Lake Atitlan and the town dock in Santa Cruz la Laguna. 

Lake Atitlan is in a volcanic caldera (basin) and is approximately 130km² and 300m deep. There are three inactive volcanoes (Atitlan, Toliman and San Pedro) on the southern shore of the lake which create an incredibly scenic backdrop for the deep blue water!

Small to medium sized communities surround the lake, each with their own distinct character. Mayan culture dominates the area, but there are plenty of quirky expat 'gringos' living here and some of the towns are full of international travelers. The quaint village of San Marcos is particularly entertaining - it's full of spiritual seeking, crystal wearing new agers selling beads and smoking pot. Some locals refer to them as 'Trustifarians' (disenfranchised trust fund kids) - that made me chuckle!

Sunset on the shore of Lake Atitlan at Santa Cruz la Laguna with the San Pedro volcano in the back. 

Getting around the lake is easy on the public boats that inexpensively ferry people and cargo between the communities. It's a great way to explore the villages, many of which sell hand-woven textiles and other goods. Market days are especially colorful and vibrant!

Mayan girls in the Solola market, Guatemala.

Local grown veggies for sale at the small Saturday market in Santa Cruz la Laguna. 

The small, flat-bottomed dugout canoes (called cayucos) used by local fisherman are synonymous with Lake Atitlan.

A fisherman paddles his cayuco (dugout canoe) at sunrise on Lake Atitlan.
The plume of steam and ash is from an eruption of the distant Fuego Volcano. 

A fisherman's dugout canoe (cayuco) on the shore of Lake Atitlan. 

Belize photos

I just returned today from a week in Belize that was a great mix of photography and vacationing (I don't like winter, it was a great break from the snow!). I'm tired and have barely sorted my photos, but here are a few initial photos. I'll add captions and more info when I catch up on my sleep.

All these were shot with Canon bodies and Sigma lenses. First 2 photos are shoreline scenes on Caye Caulker, the last two photos are Black Howler Monkeys (captive) at the Belize Zoo.