When we left the Soltis Center, we stopped off at Volcán Arenal. 5 years ago, Arenal was the most active volcano in Costa Rica, now it is still active but Volcán Turrialba reigns supreme. On our penultimate day in Costa Rica, we stopped off and spotted Turrialba from a distance with its constant smoke stack. Although Turrialba is more active now, Arenal remains most photogenic.
Arenal is located on one of Costa Rica’s many national parks, with its jungle and wildlife preserved. We were able to hike around Arenal but the trial was destroyed due to an eruption several years ago so only the lowland trails are intact. This will be an overview of the wildlife seen at Arenal.
One of the first animals we saw was a tiny eyelash pit viper. Unlike the one seen during my orientation hike (read: Orientation), this one was a green morph and much smaller. We were able to get really close to it while it was coiled up in a branch almost invisible, perfectly blended into its surroundings.
Birds were everywhere in Arenal, most notably toucans and oropendolas. Toucans are one of the most well known birds in the world and they are very common in Costa Rica. I will not be talking about them too much in this post because I saw them in greater numbers in Campanario later in the trip. Oropendolas on the other hand are extremely strange birds. They’re larger than toucans and are completely black except for the tip of their beak and their bright yellow tail. What makes them strange is their call, once you hear it you’ll never forget it. The call of the oropendola is something out of a science fiction movie, I highly encourage you to listen to it.
We also saw various species of orchids and bromeliads throughout the hike. Orchids and bromeliads fall under a group of plants called epiphytes. Epiphytes are plants that do not live in soil and life attached to other plants. They form a commensalistic relationship with the host plant. Orchids are extremely beautiful plants that produce colorful flowers. Orchids are the largest group of plants and are incredibly diverse, these plants are great at cleaning the air and live off of the humidity in the jungle. Bromeliads are typically larger than orchids and will accumulate water in the plant. This is important because it is then used as a water source for many organisms that live high up in the canopy. Frogs use it to lay eggs (read: Frogs at the Soltis Center) and they can form unique ecosystems, similar to tide pools found on beaches.
This was the first time I had ever seen an active volcano, but something that was just as magnificent was the trees. There were trees there that were the largest trees I have ever seen. The trees were massive and they had their own unique ecosystems. Epiphytes covered the trunk and within crevices, stingless bees swarmed, birds roosted in the canopy. This is a perfect example of although you might only cut down one tree, you’re killing hundreds, in this case thousands, of lives.
