The Wildlife of the Pacific coast, Choco, Colombia

With the Semana Santa holidays in Colombia came the opportunity to explore the region further. So my family and I headed for the Pacific Coast in Choco, staying at a small family run resort called Morromico on the edge of the Utria National Park, a 40min boat ride north of Nuqui. This place was a little slice of paradise with its own long black volcanic sand beach and bay backed by jungle-clad cliffs with crystal pure streams and waterfalls. We pretty much had the place to ourselves for the five nights we spent there and it was the perfect place to unwind and enjoy the sea and jungle.

The beach at Morromico

Given its remote rain forest location, well away from roads or towns, Morromico was a great place for wild life. Our hosts at the resort also provided a couple of excellent guided walks into the jungle both by day and night, to find some of the harder to locate endemic species. A number of amphibians and reptiles could also be easily found within the grounds and by the beach. One of the most numerous lizards was the Western Basilisk, which frequented the steams and waterfalls emptying into the sand.. The many juveniles would escape when approached by running away across the water into the undergrowth.  

Basiliscus galeritus (Western Basilisk) Choco Colombia

Basiliscus galeritus (Western Basilisk) Choco Colombia 

Some of my favourite reptile and amphibian shots from the area around Morromico follow:

Anolis purpurescens (Chocó purple anoles) Choco Colombia

Anolis purpurescens (Chocó purple anoles) Choco Colombia

Holcosus festivus ( Edward’s Middle American Ameiva) Choco Colombia 

Leptodeira anulata (Brown Cat Snake) Choco Colombia

Echinosaura palmeri (Palmer's teiid) Choco Colombia

Loxopholis southi Choco Colombia

Oxybelis aeneus (Brown Vinesnake) Choco Colombia

Oophaga solanensis (Bahia Solano Poison Frog) Choco Colombia

Oophaga solanensis (Bahia Solano Poison Frog) Choco Colombia

Cochranella euknemos (San Jose Glass Frog) Choco Colombia

Cochranella euknemos (San Jose Glass Frog) Choco Colombia. Lit from below to show transparency.

Atelopus spurrelli (Choco Harlequin Toad) Choco Colombia 

                      Atelopus spurrelli male                        

Atelopus spurrelli female

Craugastor raniformis (Robber Frog) Choco Colombia

Pristimantis sp (Rain Frog) Choco Colombia

Rhinella horribilis (Pacific Cane Toad) Choco Colombia

Part way through our stay we took a boat trip to spend the morning snorkelling at a small island called Playa Blanca, with a  patch of coral and white sand, rare for the region. After lunch on the beach we took the boat across to the entrance of the Utria National Park, where we explored the mangroves via a raised walkway. The area was particularly rich in epiphytic plants including these bromeliads and orchids:

Assorted Bromeliads 

Guzmania scherzeriana 

Guzmania musaica 

Rudolfiella picta Utria NP Choco Colombia

Epidendrum nocturnum Utria NP Choco Colombia

Mammals were hard to spot on this trip, however we did see a black agouti within the Utria National Park, although it was too quick for me to photograph. Our best mammal encounter was with a troop of Capuchin monkeys that passed through the trees at the back of the Morromico resort. Moving quickly and a bit out of range of my camera, I managed to get just a couple of blurry shots.

Cebus capucinus (Colombian white-faced capuchin) 

 Choco Colombia 

There were plenty of invertebrates to be seen in the rain forest. Everyday large iridescent blue Morpho butterflies flew around the Morromico grounds but without settling, making them difficult to photograph.

Morpho helenor macrophthalmus Choco Colombia

 Here is a selection of some of the other invertebrates that I encountered.

Marpesia merops Choco Colombia

Heraclides thaos (King swallowtail) Choco Colombia

Heraclides thaos (King swallowtail) Choco Colombia

Phoneutria sps (Wandering Spider) Choco Colombia

Gecarcinus quadratus  (Halloween land crab) Choco Colombia

Jungle crab eating a moth Choco Colombia

Stilpnochlora sps (Giant Katydid) Choco Colombia

 Tenodera sinensis (Chinese Mantis) Choco Colombia

Moulting Katydid  Choco Colombia

Zammara smaragdula (Emerald Cicada) emerging 

Zammara smaragdula (Emerald Cicada) 

In summary this part of Colombia is a wonderful unspoilt and wild contrast to the Caribean coast, much more wild and rugged and less tainted by mass tourism on account of its relative isolation. I hope that as it develops it manages to maintain what makes it special.

Morromico Beach