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Playa Hermosa-Punta Mala National Wildlife Refuge Photos

After visiting it becomes obvious why the Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Playa Hermosa-Punta Mala has two distinctly different names – because it has two dramatically different halves.  Divided by the Río Tulín which merges into the Río Tusubres before spilling across the beach at the mouth of Estero los Diegos the west/Hermosa half is wetlands and long straight stretches of sand pounded by big waves but the east/Mala half is rocky and twisted with rainforested hills rising from the shore.

about Hermosa/Mala wildlife refuge
east | west | getting there | best time | nearby | lodge | hills

Waterfall above Hermosa
Waterfall above Hermosa
Trogon caligatus
gartered trogon (Trogon caligatus), also known as the northern violaceous trogon
Hiking above Hermosa
Estero los Diegos
Estero los Diegos and the mouth of the Tusubres river Punta Mala wildlife refuge
Fishing is prohibited
Fishing is prohibited in Punta Mala wildlife refuge but the restrictions are generally ignored
Laughing falcon
Laughing falcon
parrot with palm kernel
parrot with palm kernel
Relaxing in the shade
Relaxing in the shade on playa Hermosa
Surfer going tubular
Surfer going tubular on Playa Hermosa
Seed pods with dispersal paper discs
Seed pods with dispersal paper discs
Scarlet Macaw landing in an almendro tree
Scarlet Macaw landing in an almendro tree
Scarlet macaws
Scarlet macaws often eat the beach almonds that grow around high tide line in the Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Playa Hermosa-Punta Mala
Scarlet macaws

 
 
 about Mala/Hermosa wildlife refuge
 east | west | getting there | best time | nearby | lodge | hills
 
 
 
Mexican goshawk - (Buteo plagiatus)
Gray hawk, Mexican goshawk – (Buteo plagiatus) but sometimes placed in the genus Asturina as Asturina plagiata
Playa Bandera Azul Ecológica
Playa Hermosa has been an Ecologically certified Blue Flag beach (Bandera Azul Ecológica) since 2017
Mangrove Black-Hawk
Mangrove Black-Hawk (Buteogallus subtilis) is identical to the Common Black-Hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus) which is only found on the Caribbean coast. There are many black hawks with white bars and yellow bills but the Mangrove can be identified by its yellow lore (the space between the base of the bill and the eye).
Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway)
Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway)
Tropical Kingbird
Merlin says Tropical Kingbird but I’m skeptical…too small I think
Clay-colored Robin
Clay-colored Thrush or Robin (Turdus grayi) is the national bird of Costa Rica, where it is commonly called the yigüirro.
Wasps nest
Wasps nest
Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)
Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) sleeping in the leaves and grass along the road to the cell towers above Jacó
Collared Aracari (Pteroglossus torquatus)
Collared Aracari (Pteroglossus torquatus)
Mangroves
Mangroves
sunset playa Hermosa
Swampy Pasture
The swamps and wetlands behind playa Hermosa are cultivated for rice production outside the wildlife refuge
Pelicans over the surf
Pelicans over the surf
Bare throated tiger heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum)
Bare throated tiger heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum) fishing in the flood plain of the Rio Gloria during rainy season
laguna at the west end of Hermosa

 
 
 about Mala/Hermosa wildlife refuge
 east | west | getting there | best time | nearby | lodge | hills
 
 
 
chestnut-mandibled toucan or Swainson’s toucan (Ramphastos ambiguus swainsonii)
Birdwatchers can’t settle on a name referring to these large toucans variously as Black Billed, Yellow Chested, Chestnut-mandibled or Swainson’s (Ramphastos ambiguus swainsonii)
Swainson’s (Ramphastos ambiguus swainsonii) toucan
Swainson’s (Ramphastos ambiguus swainsonii) toucan has a distinct keee.. call that can be heard for miles
Turtle tracks up to a nest
Olive Ridley Turtle tracks up to a nest on Playa Hermosa
Misty morning on the beach
Misty morning surf set on the beach. The waves at Playa Hermosa can be huge.
Dolphins are common
Dolphins are common visitors to the beaches in Playa Hermosa wildlife refuge
Humpback whales
Humpback whales off the coast of Playa Hermosa Punta Mala National Wildlife refuge – Most commonly seen July through November.
Bare throated tiger heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum)
Bare throated tiger heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum)
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
A whole birdwatching tour in a single tree
A whole birdwatching tour in a single tree – white ibis, aningha, cormorant, great egret, roseat spoonbill, snowy egret, cattle egret, wood stork
Waves reflecting clouds
Waves reflecting clouds off Punta Mala, Playa Hermosa, Jaco
Dozens of cattle and snowy egrets
Dozens of cattle and snowy egrets roost in the trees where the Río Gloría meets the Río Tulín which joins the Río Turrubaritos to form the Río Tusubres
Aninghas and cormorants are common it the rainy season
Aninghas and cormorants are common it the rainy season
cattle and snowy egrets
Wood stork (Mycteria americana)
Wood stork (Mycteria americana) wading in the wetlands around Laguna Pochotal at the far west end of the refuge

 
 
 about Mala/Hermosa wildlife refuge
 east | west | getting there | best time | nearby | lodge | hills
 
 
 
Project to destroy the Hermosa wetlands
Project to destroy the Hermosa wetlands with a housing development
Roadside hawk (Rupornis magnirostris)
Roadside hawk (Rupornis magnirostris)
Big bottom ants
Big bottom ants – male leaf cutters washed up on Playa Hermosa by the millions after their brief mating flight
Volunteer Lifeguard chair
Volunteer Lifeguard chair on playa Hermosa
Katydid corpse
Katydid corpse on the beach
Map of Eserillos Oeste, Costa Rica
Map of Eserillos Oeste, Costa Rica
Punta Mala is a rocky point
Punta Mala is a rocky point bracketed by curving gray sand beaches and backed by rain forest covered hills
Punta Mala is a rocky point
Estero Roto Great Egret (Ardea alba)
The tiny white blob in the center of the photo of Estero Roto is a Great Egret (Ardea alba). As we walked up the stream we spotted a raccoon, several lizards, fish, crabs, and Capuchin monkeys in the mangroves
turtle nursery
The turtle nursery holds one nest per grid square. The sand bag wall is to keep the eggs from being washed away by storm surges during particularly high tides.
sea turtle Eggs are collected and protected
Eggs are collected from nests spotted by volunteers or called in by locals. The nest are dug up and transferred to the guarded incubator enclosure immediately after they are covered and the female Olivaceous Ridley sea turtle heads back to the ocean. It’s difficult to quantify illegal activity but researchers estimate that even in this age of ecology conservation most eggs laid outside of patrol areas are poached and sold on the black market as aphrodisiacs.
Turtle rescue volunteers
Turtle rescue volunteers’ soccer match
Punta Mala hat
Punta Mala hat
Se prohibe
Se prohibe la pesca (fishing), hacer fogatas (camp fires or bonfires), acampar (camping), colocar sombrillas de playa (placing beach umbrellas), y la circulacion de vehiculos (driving vehicles)
Tide pool
Tide pool
rocky shoals
The rocky shoals that led fishermen and sailors to name the area punta Mala
Lobster shell
Lobster shell on the beach – fishing and collecting crustaceans is illegal on and offshore
No need for a beach blanket
No need for a beach blanket when you have palm fronds
Two Yorkies and the Sirena statue
Two Yorkies and the Sirena statue at Esterillos Oeste. When the tide is out people love to walk on the rocks out to the statue and take selfies with the mermaid.
Playa Hermosa Costa Rica

 
 
 about Mala/Hermosa wildlife refuge
 east | west | getting there | best time | nearby | lodge | hills
 
 
 

Ray & Sue

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Wildlife Refuges & Reserves

Wildlife Refuges & Reserves
  • Karen Mogensen Nature Reserve
  • Portalón Estero Rey National Wildlife Refuge
  • Hacienda Barú National Wildlife Refuge Photos
  • Rainmaker Biological Reserve Photos
  • Hills of Portalón Wildlife Refuge
  • Bahía Junquillal National Wildlife Refuge Photos
  • Playa Hermosa-Punta Mala National Wildlife Refuge Photos
  • Transition Dry to Rain Forest
  • Caño Negro Photos
  • Gandoca Manzanillo Photos



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