Rainforest Night Walk

It was a quiet ride to the hotel after our hike at La Fortuna. We checked in, changed, and headed to dinner at a restaurant next door. It was nice that students had a choice for dinner of two different pastas, hamburgers, or traditional rice and beans with a protein of choice. It was nice out on the patio and joying the fresh air. 

After dinner, it was time for our list big activity of the day (so much activity! Rafting! Stair climbing! Swimming in waterfall pools!). We started our night walk at 8 pm. It was hot, buggy, and everyone was tired, but the guides came in with big energy. They were dramatic, funny, and fully committed, which made the kids even more wound up as we broke into chaperone groups and headed into the dark. We were told not to wear our head lamps since they can blind both guides and animals so we were given flashlights to use. Once our eyes adjusted, the forest felt completely different from the daytime version we’d gotten used to.

Our first finds were several sloths high in the canopy. Sloths move slowly because their leaf diet doesn’t give them much energy. Their fur hosts algae and tiny insects, turning each one into its own ecosystem. Everyone aimed their flashlights high into the branches to try and catch them moving and snap a picture in the dark.

We found another red poison dart frog resting on a leaf. These frogs’ natural toxins come from the ants and mites they eat. Our guide pointed out that frogs are extremely sensitive to chemicals in the environment. Even something as simple as people spraying strong insect repellent can harm them if it gets on the leaves and washes into the places where they live.

The glass frog was the one that stopped everyone. Under the flashlight beam, you could see its organs through its skin. Scientists aren’t sure why they evolved this way but they think the transparency helps break up its shape so predators can’t spot it when it rests on a leaf. Their presence signals a healthy, clean ecosystem.

Most rainforest snakes aren’t aggressive. They hide in low branches at night because that’s when they hunt frogs and insects. Many rely on staying perfectly still as their main defense, which is why we could get close as long as we didn’t touch anything. One guide was able to identify a snake as non venomous so he picked it up for one group to see. 

If you shine a light across the forest floor, spiders’ eyes reflect like tiny pinpoints. That reflection comes from a layer behind the retina, similar to what cats have. It was eerie to see the webs glowing in the dark as the spiders traveled along them. We saw several different species.

The caterpillars here are tiny but wild. Some have spines that sting, others mimic snakes or bird droppings to avoid being eaten. It’s giving Don’t Eat Me vibes! The rainforest is full of odd survival strategies, even in the smallest creatures. 

Crickets, frogs, and toads were everywhere. Many call only at night to avoid predators. Their presence tells you the ecosystem is still functioning, because amphibians are usually the first to decline when water or habitat quality drops.

Our guide even found a pair of toads that let them be handled briefly before hopping away. 

Even the leaves in the rainforest looked more dramatic at night. Ferns bigger than people, and splashes of color on various flowers and plants. 

Cool bird… no idea what it is!

We stopped in a grove and turned off all of the lights to sit in the darkest dark. Every once in a while we could see lightning bugs flickering beneath the trees. During lightning bug season, we learned the entire forest is lit up like a Christmas tree. Each species with its own pattern. Some use their flash to attract mates. Others use it to confuse prey. It was the quietest moment of the walk.

By the time we looped back, the kids were sweaty, tired, and calmer than when we began. The night walk was one of those experiences that looks and sounds completely different once the sun goes down. Although it was hot and tiring after our long day, the kids were glad we did it.