|
Tamarindo
National Wildlife Refuge :
Travel
to Costa Rica
This small wildlife refuge was declared to protect
a mangrove swamp that is unusual in having no freshwater
input during nearly half the year. Given the severity
of the dry season in this coastal region of northern
Guanacaste, the creeks that feed the estuary during
the rainy season completely dry up after the rains have
stopped.
Five species of mangroves (botanically unrelated trees
that have each evolved methods for tolerating life in
a brackish water environment where the soil is so waterlogged
that oxygen cannot readily be obtained through the underground
roots) exist in the Tamarindo estuary and provide an
important spawning site for many fish and other marine
creatures. An assortment of birds can be found in this
habitat, many of them seasonal migrants from North America.
One of the more peculiar species encountered here is
the Lesser Nighthawk (a relative of the Whip-poor-will),
which sleeps lengthwise during the day on low branches
in the mangroves, its mottled gray and brown plumage
causing it to blend in extremely well with the environment.
There is an average two and a half meter difference
between high and low tide on the Pacific coast of Costa
Rica, and when the tide is out in the mangroves you
can observe the protruding vertical roots (or pneumatophores)
of the Black Mangrove. These short projections stick
up out of the mud to help aerate the plants. During
the dry season, you can also see how this species of
mangrove plant exudes particles of salt on the surface
of its leaves (in the rainy season the salts are washed
off and do not accumulate so as to be visible).
Howler Monkeys, White-throated Capuchin Monkeys, Raccoons,
Spectacled Caimans, and Lineated Basilisk Lizards are
among the other kinds of wildlife that can be spotted
on a boat ride through the mangroves.
Getting there: From the intersection on the
PanAmerican Highway at Liberia, drive west towards the
Pacific coast. At the town of Belén, take a right
turn and continue on paved road for 21 km. until reaching
the community of Huacas. Here turn left, staying
on pavement, and continue to Villareal and then Tamarindo,
where boats can be hired for touring the estuary.
Fishing: Located in the most developed part
of the country for deep-sea fishing, a dozen or more
operators between Playa del Coco and Tamarindo offer
charter boat service with the target species being Blue
Marlin, Black Marlin, and Pacific Sailfish. Between
the three species, there's usually action all year long.
Other fish that help pick up the slack if the billfish
aren't biting are Dorado (Mahi-mahi), Wahoo, and Roosterfish.
Climate: Hot year-round, the dry season lasts
from about mid-November to mid-May.
History: In a response to the perceived threat
the estuary faced from plans to build large tourism
complexes on its fringes, the government, urged by concerned
residents of the Tamarindo area, decreed it the status
of national wildlife refuge.
|
