Description
Experience the magic of the rainforest at night! Boots on, headlamp and a guide leading, discover unusual creatures that remain awake and active during the night. A great opportunity to acquaint with amphibians, insects and other wonders of this hidden, tropical world. Nocturnal animals rely on very developed senses of hearing, sight, and smell to be armed against predators, and look for food in the dark. Depending on the species, some senses are highly developed compared to others. In this tour, you will be invited to fully use your senses and try to understand certain of their behaviors. You will even turn off lights at a certain point to get your eyes adapted to the dark and find the glow of both flora and fauna in total obscurity.Octopuses, owls, crocodiles, and cats all have an optimal night vision, which means they have special adaptations to see at night. However, not all the nocturnal animals have such a sight capacity to the darkness. Others rely on different developed senses to remain awake and active during the night, like the skunk that has excellent smell sense and a sharp hearing ability which is specially adapted to compensate its very poor vision. In the twilight and night hours, those who are not endowed with eyesight in the absence of light, use different interesting instinct technics to camouflage, find their way, mate, hunt and flee from predators. To roam in the dark more effectively, animals pick up and track scents better when lingered in the air at night. To locate prey, they also use their hearing sense as sometimes the latter flees over fallen leaves and twigs. In the animal kingdom, the evolved body and physical traits of other animals have unique features who enable them to make noise, use echolocation, smells and even bioluminescent to survive t the darkness. In this diverse and unique ecosystem, learn about anthropoids, reptiles and mammals’ sensory receptors and their role to find food at night, observe mushrooms glowing and learn interesting statistics of the forever-alive Osa Peninsula.The trails are located by a stream in the wetland rain forest, but also not too far from a breeding site, perfect for master hunters to rule the roost and snag their prey. Now, the big question, what will you see?
Animals are free in the wild, which means we can’t guaranty they’ll be exhibiting the day of your night walk. The moon affects the animals’ behaviors, you might have more chances to see animals during the new moon, but in revenge, you may have more chances to see them mating with the full moon. Seasons affect them as well, frogs are happy in the rain, cats want to hide, and snakes escape their flooding cave, so you must watch every step. That being said, no matter when you take the tour, you have big chances of seeing several types of spiders, frogs, and lizards, maybe one or two snakes, birds and may be a mammal. Tapirs, pumas, kinkajou, and opossum live in this forest. Tracks are often encountered, but you’ll need the luck to see these mammals as they’ll see you before you do and run away.
Highlights
- The best night tour of the whole Osa Peninsula
- Experience the uniqueness of the tropical rain forest and learn about its importance in the world’s ecosystem
- Enjoy the intimacy of a private tour
- Enjoy a close encounter with amphibians and reptiles
- Only 15 minutes from Puerto Jiménez
- Operates year-round, 7 days a week
What's included?
- Naturalist & bilingual tour guide
- Boots
- Front light or flashlight
The farm provides:
- Bathroom with toilet paper and soap
- Potable water
- Rooftop rest area
What to bring?
- Long pants and long socks
- Hiking shoes (ankle high) or boots (recommended)
- Mosquito repellent
- Water bottle
- Raincoat or poncho (in the rainy season)
- Flashlight or headlamp (otherwise it will be provided)
- Camera
Why book with us?
- Emails and phone calls answered in English, Spanish or French
- Safety experience is our priority
- Eco and sustainable tours
- Professional, experienced and bilingual guides
- Helping and supporting locals
- Competitive prices
- Fair cancellation policy
- No hidden fees
- Rated 5-stars on TripAdvisor
Additional info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Travelers must be 12+ years old to participate in this tour
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Can accommodate large groups
- Starting time is at 6:00 PM upon reservation.
- Transportation from your hotel or lodge is available for an additional price.
- Must have a valid travel insurance
- Tour available all days of the year
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Transportation
This tour is offered in Cañaza, about 15 kilometers (20 minutes) from Puerto Jiménez.
Transportation can be provided for an additional fee.
Cancelation
No deposit is required to book this tour.
We would appreciate a 24-hour notice if you need to cancel.