Photos: Costa Rica's most adorable baby animals

Photos: Costa Rica’s most adorable baby animals

Costa Rica is home to roughly five percent of the world’s biodiversity, and I saw lots of amazing animals while researching “Costa Rica: The Complete Guide.” Sloths, monkeys, sea turtles, quetzals, tapirs, coatis, toucans, macaws — the list goes on. During my first month in Costa Rica I spotted a tapir mother and baby while hiking in Corcovado, then drove north to the Central Pacific and saw 12 toucans perched in a single tree! (Tragically, I did not have my camera ready in either case, which was a great way to learn to always have your camera handy in Costa Rica.) After living in Costa Rica for a few years, seeing world-class wildlife becomes routine. It’s still wonderful to spot a sloth or monkey, but you start to lose that initial sense of awe. Seeing a spinner dolphin leap out of the ocean is great, but not as great as watching a superpod of 2,000 dolphins frolic off the Osa Peninsula. Watching a sea turtle lay her eggs in the sand is amazing, but it can’t compare with thousands of sea turtles laying their eggs simultaneously during an arribada at Ostional. But no matter how spoiled I’ve become watching wildlife in Costa Rica, the sight of a baby animal never ceases to fill me with wonder. I’ve photographed lots of baby animals in Costa Rica over the years. Below are some of my favorite shots.