November 13-22, 2025
Wildlife of Costa rica
This country makes up only 0.13% of the planet’s landmass, yet contains 4% of all species found on earth. By some measures, it is the most biodiverse place known to man.
Costa Rica.
In November of 2025, I will be co-leading a Costa Rica wildlife photography workshop with veteran workshop leader, Don Mammoser! Don is a wildlife and landscape photographer based in the mountains of Colorado, and he has been leading workshops to Costa Rica for years. Check out his work here. Don is highly experienced with photographing wildlife in central America, and he knows exactly when and where to look for all of the species you want to see: king vultures, keel-billed toucans, resplendent quetzals, collared aracari, hummingbirds, American crocodiles… the list goes on. Don knows the Costa Rican landscape intimately, and his careful planning will put us in all the right places to photograph a diverse array of wildlife in one of the most biodiverse countries on earth.
Quick Details
Dates: November 13-22, 2025
Cost: $5,595 USD double occupancy, $6,290 USD single occupancy
Group size: 6-8 participants (5 minimum for the trip to run)
What’s included:
All lodging for the duration of the workshop
Transportation for the duration of the workshop
All meals for the duration of the workshop
All photography instruction
Guide services
What’s not included:
Transportation to and from San Jose, Costa Rica
Tips for local guides
Soda and/or alcoholic beverages
Basic Itinerary
This will be a 10-day tour and will cover many different regions of Costa Rica. Our primary focus will be bird photography, but we will have opportunities to photograph reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and landscapes as well.
Day 1: November 13, 2025
Fly into Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in San Jose, Costa Rica arriving sometime during late afternoon or early evening. A driver from our first hotel will be waiting for you with a sign so you know who to go with for your transfer to the hotel. We meet at 6pm in the evening at the designated hotel in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Days 2-3: November 14-15, 2025
Drive to our first lodge located in the Cano Negro area. Here we’ll have 3 private boat tours on the surrounding wetlands and river areas and we’ll enlist the help of a local guide/boatman who knows how to find tons of area wildlife. Target species include 6 types of kingfishers, monkeys, caiman, herons, egrets, and many more.
Days 4-6: November 16-18, 2025
Drive to our second lodge in the Sarapiqui area. At least 2 wildlife photo sessions scheduled each day. Highlights include a special tropical frog photo session of colorful tree frogs and poison dart frogs, handled by professional wildlife guides. We will also have access to special bird feeding platforms where the action is non-stop with of dozens of species of tropical birds to photograph. Also included is a special photo day with a jungle guide who will help us photograph some species that are nearly impossible to find.
Days 7-8: November 19-20, 2025
Drive to our third lodge in a central highlands of Costa Rica. This is a mountainous area at nearly 9,000 feet above sea level where we will try to find and photograph the spectacular Resplendent Quetzal – one of the most sought-after, beautiful birds in the world. In this area we stay in a very small, cloud-forest mountain lodge in order to maximize our chances to see and photograph Quetzals. We’ll also have access to special hummingbird feeders, a jungle waterfall and more.
Day 9: November 21, 2025
After photographing more amazing birds all morning, we’ll drive towards San Jose. Arrive late afternoon at our designated hotel near the airport.
Day 10: November 22, 2025
A final breakfast together and then flights home today from San Jose to your hometown.
Both Don and I will be acting as guides/photography instructors on this trip. We both have a deep understanding of what it takes to make a great photo. We can teach you everything you want to know about both the artistry of photography, and the technical aspects needed to properly operate your camera, and after spending 10 days in the rainforest with us, I can guarantee you will leave having learned something useful. With all that said, I am super excited about this opportunity and hope some of you will join us in the rainforest! If you’d like to reserve your spot on this adventure, use this link to be taken to Don’s website, where you can sign up now.
NOTE: All photos on this workshop page belong to and were taken by Don Mammoser.
LOOKING FOR MORE DETAILS? READY TO BOOK?
Are you ready to join us in the rainforests of Costa Rica? If so, then click the Book Now button below to be taken to Don’s website, where you can reserve your spot on this adventure.
NOTE: When in the ‘CHOOSE YOUR TOUR’ dropdown, make sure you select Costa Rica Wildlife Session II. I will not be helping with Session I.