A SPECIAL KIND OF ECOTOURISM IN COSTA RICA

“Okay, now that we’re up here what am I supposed to take pictures of. I mean, why did you bring me up here anyway. If you want me to present Hacienda Barú as a great spot for Birding Costa Rica and Ecological Tourism in Costa Rica, I have to have photos of the things Bird Watchers and Ecotourists like to see. I suppose you want me to photograph branches, leaves and sky and who knows what else,” ranted Phillip. In a few short hours I had come to realize that the man I was guiding was mostly bluster and jest and his critical manner not truly a sign of displeasure.

The incident described above took place back in the early 1990s when half the people in Dominical had never heard of Internet, and those who had weren’t quite sure what it was all about. For me it was something out of science fiction, but I had an inkling that it would one day be very important. Phillip was designing what may have been the first Internet travel guide, and for that he needed photos. As Hacienda Barú was a popular destination for Bird Watching and Ecotourism in Costa Rica, he wanted to feature it in his online travel guide.
Phillip was a large man, well over 100 kilos (220 Lbs.,) a marked contrast to his girlfriend, Michele, about half that size. As far as I could discern, Michele’s primary function was that of camera bearer, which wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. His photographer’s backpack contained four state-or-the-art cameras, eight lenses, 150 rolls of film -- digital cameras were little more than a fantasy back then -- and weighed in at approximately 35 kilos (77 Lb.) Tiny Michele didn’t weigh much more than the backpack, but she handled the task admirably.
“Oh come on Phillip,” I began, searching for words. “Don’t you feel the magic of the canopy? I mean we’re as high off the ground as a 12 story building. Until a few years ago this entire ecosystem was virtually a mystery to science, and now it’s available to almost everybody. Don’t you feel anything? I mean it’s so different. On the ground your reality is only a hemisphere; up here it is an entire sphere.” I knew I was rambling, but I couldn’t think of anything clever.
Phillip let out a big sigh. “You expect me to photograph feelings?” he queried with a smirk.
That was the moment when I saw a moviment behind Phillip, and an instant later, so did Michele. Phillip was railing on about needing subject matter for photos. Michele lifted her hand, pointed and opened her mouth, but no sound came out. I prepared my next words carefully all the time telling myself: “Don’t blow it Jack. You only get a chance like this once in a lifetime.”
From Michele’s strange stance, Phillip deduced that something was up. He lapsed into silence. I went for the kill. “Well, I don’t know Phillip. What do you have in mind?” I began as casually as I could muster. “Will that sloth do, the one just over your right shoulder? Maybe Michele could hug it while you take her photo. Can you put that on your Hinternet or Interjet or whatever you call that star wars stuff you work with?”
I never saw such a large man pivot so quickly. Eyes glued to the sloth he snapped orders to Michele: “Canon 5680 (or whatever it was,) 70 mm lens.” He held out his hand. Seconds later, with all the effeciency of a dental assistant, she slapped a fully loaded and assembled camera into his palm, ready to shoot. And shoot he did. The sloth worked its way out onto a branch, Phillip shouted an order, a different camera landed firmly in his hand as the first was retreived. Phillip never took his eyes off the sloth. Three rolls of film later, he was still snapping away. Not surprisingly, he didn’t notice when five fiery-billed aracaries (small toucans) landed in the tree.
This time Michele didn’t trust her voice, she poked him in the ribs and pointed.
Reluctantly he removed his gaze from the sloth and contemplated the toucans; a brief moment of hesitation, another shouted order and, like magic, another camera appeared.
A half-hour and five rolls of film after Phillip began shooting, the toucans flew away and the sloth was far out on a limb. The sun was low on the horizon and it was time to go. “I guess you weren’t kidding when you told me that Ecotourists and Bird Watchers love this place,” sighed Phillip. “I can see why.”
I spent two more days with Phillip and Michele, all of it memorable, but that experience in the canopy is an afternoon I will never forget.
Guiding bird watching enthusiasts ecological tourists is the most thoroughly enjoyable occupation I can imagine. It is a really cool job. It is like getting paid to have fun, and, when I was still guiding, I often found myself enjoying the tour as much or more than the ecotourists. Of course there is a lot of effort that isn’t always evident to the visitors, but the act of guiding and teaching about the rainforest is so gratifying that all the preparatory work is soon forgotten. This is in large part due to the fact that ecological tourists tend to be some of the nicest people on earth. They come here to see and learn and take away only their memories.
Even after twenty-one years of experience in ecological tourism, and sixteen of that as an ecological tour guide, I don’t consider myself to be really good at it. With a little luck, I can show you a sloth like Phillip and Michele’s that practically taps you on the shoulder and says “Hey man, look, here I am.” I can take you to a tree that is too big to hug. And, I can get you 40 meters (130 feet) up into the canopy and back down, all in one piece. But I have great difficulty finding a sloth that doesn’t care to be found. For that you need a top ecotourism guide, one who grew up in the rainforest. We have nine at Hacienda Barú National Wildlife Refuge, Alex, Cristian, Danny, Deiner, Freddy, Juan, Juan Carlos, Pedro, and Ronald, and I take my hat off to them. I’ve lived at Hacienda Barú for 34 years but I still see twice as much wildlife when I go out walking with one of these guys.
I’ve come to appreciate that the difference is not in visual acuity, but has more to do with image enhancement. This became clear one day when I was walking in the forest with Juan. “See the sloth over on the far side of that tree,” said Juan casually, not bothering to lift his binoculars. His finger indicated a gray mass located at a point where two branches crossed.
I raised my binoculars. “I don’t think we’re looking at the same thing.” I replied.
“Yes we are,” he assured. “You’re looking in the right place. Look again.”
I did. “Juan, my friend, I think you’ve finally gotten one wrong.” I was still peering through my binoculars. “That is nothing more than a bunch of dry leaves. Look at it with your binoculars.”
Juan smiled patiently. “You know,” he mused, “I’ve never been able to understand why you confuse sloths with dry leaves. Sloths are living mammals with thick coats of hair. Dry leaves are dead pieces of trees. What´s similar about them?”
“Well ... they’re both gray,” I offered lamely.
“There,” he pointed, “look again. You ever see a bunch of dead leaves scratch its head?”
I knew I’d been beaten, but I raised my binoculars anyway, had a look, then turned and gave Juan an apologetic shrug. “Sorry buddy. Let’s just pretend I never said a thing. Okay?”
Juan’s eyes and mine record the same visual signals and transmit the same information to the optical nerve. The difference is in the brain. His brain enhances the image into a male three-toed sloth, complete with wavy hair, and mine into an unidentified gray mass that is probably dried leaves. That doesn’t mean I haven’t gotten better at spotting sloths; I have. But I don’t even play in the same league as these guys.
Ecotourism has become popular in Costa Rica because the country has such a large diversity of birds and animals, and these may be observed at a number of easily accessible parks and reserves. Of the many ecotourists who visit Hacienda Barú, most want to see a sloth. Monkeys are active, noisey and easy to spot and, as we have already discussed, sloths are not. There are plenty of them out there, but they aren’t easy to find. That’s where an experienced ecotourism guide can lend a helping hand.
We have two species of sloths at Hacienda Barú, the two-toed sloth and the three-toed sloth. We see more of the latter than the former, probably because their short periods of activity may happen either during the day or at night, whereas the two-toed sloths are strictly nocturnal, spending most of their daylight hours rolled up in a ball, asleep. It is not unusual for visitors on a guided tour to see both species and most guests see at least one.
When we first noticed that ecotourists really love to see sloths, our guides started looking for ways to spot more of them. They studied sloth natural history in biology texts and carefully observed their habits in the wild. A big part of finding them is knowing where to look. For example, some species of trees are more likely to harbor a sloth at certain times of the year, usually when the leaves are young and tender. The same sloths may prefer other trees in a different season. Sloths eat leaves, and naturally prefer some over others. The leaves of some trees are apparently not very appetizing at any time of year. I have never seen a sloth eat the leaves of a Camaron Tree (Licania operculipetala,) but those of the three-toed variety often sleep there. This may be because the branches are shaped in a way that the sloth finds comfortable. Knowing this helps our guides find them. No matter how much much they know about sloths, there is always more to be learned.
There is an ongoing competition amongst Hacienda Barú’s guides for the title of “Resident Slothologist.” This distinction is earned by holding the record for spotting more sloths during a tour. Juan held the title for many years with twelve three-toed sloths and two of their two-toed cousins. Recently, however, Deiner guided an exceptionally fruitful “Night in the Jungle” tour in which they were able to observe 17 sloths including representatives of both species.
If you are interested exploring opportunities for Birding and Ecotourism in Costa Rica, remember that true Ecological Tourism is about experiencing nature in its entirety. Seeing and learning about the flora and fauna is not only interesting but also very fulfilling. For some, birds are a passion, and others prefer seeing mammals, like sloths. We recommend that you begin your experience with tropical nature without any expectations. Open all of your senses and just let it happen. You won’t be disappointed.

Tel. (in C. R.): (506) 787-0003
Fax (in C. R.): (506) 787-0057
Email: info@haciendabaru.com

Focussed in Birdwatching Costa Rica and Ecotourism