The most biologically intense place on Earth

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Corcovado National Park (Parque Nacional Corcovado) is a National Park on the Osa Peninsula in the South West of Costa Rica (9° North, 83° West), which is part of the Osa Conservation Area. It was established on 24 October 1975, and encompasses an area of 425 km² (263 mi²). It is widely considered the crown jewel in the extensive system of national parks and biological reserves spread across the country. The ecological variety is quite stunning. National Geographic has called it "the most biologically intense place on Earth". Not only is the park very popular with tropical ecologists, a visitor can expect to see an abundance of wildlife. One should come well prepared though.

Flora and Fauna

The park conserves the largest primary forest on the American Pacific coastline and one of the few remaining sizeable areas of lowland tropical rainforests in the world. Logging usually takes place in lowland areas because those areas are more accessible and contain the largest and most economically valuable trees. But those habitats are also usually the richest in biodiversity. So even though still approximately half the tropical rainforests on Earth remain, what is left of the originally rich lowland tropical rainforests is usually too small to support the original natural biodiversity. Larger animals, especially, need a large habitat free of human activity. Unfortunately this means that even tourism, the economic incentive for Costa Rica and other developing nations to preserve and protect parks such as Corcovado, actually threatens the long-term biodiversity of the park.

Corcovado is home to a sizable population of the endangered Baird's Tapir and even a small population of the critically endangered Harpy Eagle. The park's rivers and lagoons are home to large populations of both the American crocodile and Spectacled Caiman, along with Bull sharks. Corcovado is also one of the final strongholds of the Jaguar within Central America and several other felines are also present, including Ocelot, Margay, Jaguarundi, and Puma. Several primates are also very common within the park, including the endangered Central American Squirrel Monkey, White-faced Capuchin, Mantled Howler, and Geoffroy's Spider Monkey. Other mammals present include Two-toed and Three-toed Sloth, Northern Tamandua and Silky Anteater. Poison dart frogs and several species of snake (including the venomous Fer-de-Lance and Bushmaster) are also common within the park.

The abundance in wildlife can in part be explained by the variety of vegetation types, at least 13, including montane forest (more than half the park), cloud forest, jolillo forest (palm swamp), prairie forest, alluvial plains forest, swamp forest, freshwater herbaceous swamp and mangrove, together holding over 500 tree species, including purple heart, poponjoche, nargusta, banak, cow tree, espave and crabwood. Another reason for the diversity (as with all of Costa Rica) is that it lies on a north-south corridor for flora and fauna; part of the "land bridge" and wildlife corridor that links the large continents of North America and South America.

Visiting

As when visiting any sensitive natural area, please be sure to clean all of your hiking and/or camping gear (in particular shoe/boot soles and tents) prior to visiting to decrease the chance introducing non-native seeds.

Corcovado National Park is open to the public and can be visited on day trips and for overnight visits. Admission is currently $8 per person per day (for non-Costa Rican residents). Reservations for overnight visits in the park can be done in Puerto Jiménez on the east coast of the peninsula. One may camp or stay indoors at one of several ranger stations equipped with bunks. If one wants basic meals served, reservations should be made about a week in advance. Take note that researchers get preference over other visitors (though there is usually enough room for self-catering campers).

One can make day visits into the park from several lodging options on both the north and south entrances to the park, as well as through organised excursions that fly into the park. One can get to the Corcovado National Park via Puerto Jimenez or Drake Bay. These two towns serve as the main entry points to the park. There are two tracks, one coastal and one inland, and four ranger stations in the park where one can stay overnight; three at the park entrances and one at the intersection of the two tracks. One track runs Northwest to Southeast along the coast, with the Estación Sirena roughly in the middle and another track inland from there, to Estación Los Patos at the Eastern end of the park. One can fly into the park (via chartered aircraft) to Estación Sirena, from where one can follow relatively short loop-trails. To walk through the park one needs a reasonable fitness, at least two or three days, good planning and caution. During the wet months (July to November) parts of the park may be closed.

On the coastal track one must take into account that several rivers need to be forded. This can not be done when the water is too high, so one must take the tides into account. This information can be obtained in Puerto Jiménez. On this track most of the walking is on the beach (meaning heat and salty air) and there is little fresh water, so enough water should be taken along to avoid dehydration. An approach from the South is easiest because just North of Estación Sirena lies the Río Sirena, the largest of the rivers that need to be forded along this track. If one arrives from the North too late one is stuck because this is a dangerous river to cross at high tides. There are American Crocodiles, Spectacled Caimans, and at high tide even Bull Sharks and stingrays can swim into the estuary. Rio Sirena flows into the massive Laguna Corcovado deep within the park and therefore larger crocodiles are present, although they are the larger individuals are usually only seen near the crossings and mouth at night. If one starts from the station, one can get information at the station and the river is right next to it, so planning is easy. If done sensibly, the crossing is not dangerous, though. This northern coastal section is longer but less arduous than the southern section because there is more shade. However, it can only be used during the dry season from December to April because during the wet season the rivers are often too deep to wade through safely. It is important to note that crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus), along with caimans (Caiman crocodilus), are indeed present within the Rio Claro as well. This crossing is generally regarded as the safer of the two major crossings given that it does not flow into Laguna Corcovado, which is apparently home to larger crocodiles. The crocodiles seen at the mouth of the Rio Claro are small (under 2m) and are not capable of devouring a human and flee at the sight of people, but caution should still be exercised.

Most animal sightings can be expected on the coastal track, with scarlet macaws (the largest population in the country) flying overhead, hermit crabs on the beach, pelicans fishing in the sea and, on the sections that go slightly inland, spider monkeys (take care not to get urinated on when they are in a tree overhead), tamandua anteaters, pumas, white faced capuchin monkeys, lineated woodpeckers and coatis (to name just a few). With luck one might even spot a tapir, even though they're nocturnal. Corcovado is also a good place to spot the red-eyed tree frog, as well as the glass frog with its transparent skin, and the enamel-bright poison-arrow frogs. From Estación Sirena one can follow many short tracks, on which one can also take short night-strolls into the forest with a good chance of running into a tapir. They're impressive to see (bring a decent torch) but harmless if left in peace - please do! Jaguars are present and some individuals frequent the beach near Madrigal at night. You are very likely to see their tracks, sometimes very fresh and frequent, but very unlikely to see the actual cat. The most common animal in the park is by far the White-nosed Coati, which one can expect to encounter dozens of times on the beach hike between La Leona and Sirena, digging for and feeding on the abundant Moon Crabs.

The inland track to Estación Los Patos goes through secondary growth for much of the way, but it is still a beautiful walk with a little more variation and it's easier walking with no sand and no sizeable river crossings.

Other animals in the park include Central American Squirrel Monkeys, mantled howler monkeys, both two-toed and three-toed sloths, agoutis, giant anteaters, Great Curassows, black hawks, Spectacled Owls, hummingbirds, 220 species of butterflies, golden orb spiders (who build huge webs), otters and raccoons. Four species of sea turtle (green, Pacific Ridley, Hawksbill, and Leatherback) nest on the beaches.