Howler Monkeys of Monteverde

We saw our first howler monkey during our hike to the base of the Arenal Volcano.  We saw a male howler monkey in the trees.  What was really interesting was his call, which sounds like a deep, long roar.  Howler monkeys are supposed to be the loudest of all monkeys.

We didn't see any howler monkeys in Monteverde, but we sure heard them.  Every morning, between 5:30 - 6:30am, they would begin their ritual calls from the valley.  From way up the mountain, from the balcony of our room, I could hear the howler monkeys announcing their awakening and presumably claiming their territory.

In the video below, IF you turn up your volume, you will hear a male howler monkey right at the beginning of the movie and in the middle.  The view is of Monteverde from our balcony; we were on the 8th level up the side of the mountain.  I took the video on Wednesday, August 13, at 5:42am, local Costa Rica time.

Encounters with Animals

Costa Rica is known for its wildlife and we have been lucky enough to catch sight of some of Costa Rica's wonders. Some of our sightings incude:

During the Arenal hiking trip, we saw a couple of howler monkeys in the trees. One male was even broadcasting loudly in his loud, lion-like roar. CJ called him the Monkey King.  Early mornings in Monteverde, around 5:30pm, the male howler monkeys would wake us with their roars.

At Tabacon and Playa Conchal, we saw several coatis, long, black creatures that reminded us of racoons.  We are told that they like to hang out by hotels and eat garbage.

During our boat ride on Lake Arenal, we saw plenty of birds along the shore.

During the tour of the Monteverde Reserve, we saw a black guan, a green toucan, lots of spiders and beetles.  

We also saw a toucan at Tabacon, close to the restaurant aptly named Los Tucanes, and toucans at a roadside restaurant.

On the road to Guanacaste, we spotted a two-toed sloth in the trees, a couple of white-faced monkeys, and lizards. 

At Playa Conchal, foot-long lizards are everywhere.