 |
| Windswept turtle nesting beaches at Tayrona |
I recently stayed four nights in the park, giving me ample time to explore the main trails and beaches and to photograph the abundant wildlife. Many of the parks iconic animals are easy to spot if you keep your eyes open and I was able to photograph a good number of species.
There are three species of monkey in the park and I was able to see all of them almost daily. The most numerous and easy to find were the endemic Santa Marta white fronted capuchins. In places along the beach trails they have become very accustomed to the presence of people and it is possible to get quite close.
 |
| Cebus malitiosus |
 |
| (Santa Marta white-faced capuchin) |
 |
| Cebus malitiosus (Santa Marta white-faced capuchin) Tayrona NP Colombia |
Harder to spot but easy to hear in the mornings were the Red Howler monkeys.
 |
| Alouatta seniculus (Colombian Red Howler Monkey) Tayrona NP Colombia |
The smallest monkey in the park is the endangered Cotton Topped Tamarin, found only in a few places in the north of Colombia.
 |
| Saguinus oedipus (cotton-top tamarin) |
 |
| Saguinus oedipus (cotton-top tamarin) |
 |
| Saguinus oedipus (cotton-top tamarin) with young. |
 |
| Saguinus oedipus (cotton-top tamarin)Tayrona NP Colombia |
A common and easily spotted mammal in the park is the Agouti. I spotted these foraging in the undergrowth on most days in the park.
 |
| Dasyprocta punctata (Central American agouti) Tayrona NP Colombia |
 |
| Dasyprocta punctata (Central American agouti) Tayrona NP Colombia |
I was very lucky to get one sighting of the elusive Tamandua, a kind of tree dwelling ant eater. I heard it before I saw it, ripping apart a rotten tree branch with its powerful claws.
 |
| Tamandua mexicana (Northern Tamandua) Tayrona NP Colombia |
 |
| Tamandua mexicana |
 |
| Northern Tamandua |
 |
| Tayrona NP |
 |
| Tamandua mexicana (Northern Tamandua) Tayrona NP Colombia |
Reptiles, particularly lizards were also very numerous in the park and I was able to see many different species. Young green iguanas were abundant in a few places.
 |
| Iguana iguana (Green Iguana) Tayrona NP Colombia |
 |
| Iguana iguana (Green Iguana) Tayrona NP Colombia |
I was also delighted to see two young Basilisks or Jesus Lizards. One performed it's trick of running on water when I disturbed it.
 |
| Basiliscus basiliscus (Common Basilisk) Tayrona NP Colombia |
 |
| Basiliscus basiliscus (Common Basilisk) Tayrona NP Colombia |
There were also large numbers of the incredibly brightly coloured rainbow lizards.
 |
| Cnemidophorus gaigei (Gaige’s Rainbow Lizard) Tayrona NP Colombia |
 |
| Cnemidophorus gaigei (Gaige’s Rainbow Lizard) Tayrona NP Colombia |
 |
| Cnemidophorus gaigei (Gaige’s Rainbow Lizard) Tayrona NP Colombia |
 |
| Cnemidophorus gaigei (Gaige’s Rainbow Lizard) Tayrona NP Colombia |
There were also Anoles,
 |
| Anolis gaigei (Gaige's Anole) Tayrona NP Colombia |
heavily built Amievas,
 |
| Ameiva bifrontata (Cope's Ameiva) Tayrona NP Colombia |
and a number of skinks and geckos.
 |
| Thecadactylus rapicauda (turnip-tailed gecko) Tayrona NP Colombia |
 |
| Tretioscincus bifasciatus ( Magdalena River Tegu) Tayrona NP Colombia |
 |
| Cnemidophorus gaigei |
 |
| Copeoglossum nigropunctatum |
 |
| Gonatodes albogularis |
Despite the abundance of lizards, I was surprised to be only able to see one snake during my stay in the park.
 |
| Oxybelis aeneus (Brown Vinesnake) Tayrona NP Colombia |
I found three nice frogs including an endemic poison dart frog.
 |
| Dendrobates truncatus (yellow-striped poison frog) Tayrona NP Colombia |
 |
| Boana xerophylla (Drylands Tree Frog) Tayrona NP Colombia |
 |
| Rhinella horribilis (Giant Toad) Tayrona NP Colombia |
A highlight of the trip was being able to see giant blue morpho butterflies. These large iconic South American butterflies are some of the largest in he world and have an incredible iridescent blue colour that is revealed when they fly.
 |
| Morpho helenor peleides Tayrona NP Colombia |
 |
| Morpho helenor peleides Tayrona NP Colombia |
 |
| Morpho helenor peleides Tayrona NP Colombia |
Continuing the blue theme, giant blue land crabs inhabited holes under the trees near the shore where the Morphos were flying.
 |
| Cardisoma guanhumi (Blue Land Crab) Tayrona NP Colombia |
Other butterflies were not that numerous at this time of year apart from the cattle-heart butterfly.
 |
| Parides anchises serapis Tayrona NP Colombia |
There were plenty of interesting birds about including several kinds of birds of prey hanging around the beaches.
 |
| Coragyps atratus (Black Vulture) Tayrona NP Colombia |
Bats could often be seen flying through the jungle and were easily spotted sheltering amongst the boulders by the beaches and along the trails.
 |
| Caracara cheriway (Crested Caracara) |
 |
| Saccopteryx bilineata (The greater sac-winged bat) |
 |
| Brassavola nodosa (Lady of the Night Orchid) Growing on rocks near the beaches. |
All in all this was a very rewarding trip and I would recommend the park at this time of year to anyone interested in combining wildlife spotting with beautiful Caribbean beaches.
 |
| A typical Tayrona beach. |
