Tag: whale watching Colombia

Exuberant Fauna and Flora to Discover During a Wildlife Tour in Colombia

Posted on 03/04/202022/04/2021 by Frank59872

As we have said so many times before, Colombia is the country with most bird species in the world. Well, this also applies to orchids! What we haven’t mentioned is that Colombia ranks second in quantity of plants, amphibians, butterflies and freshwater fish, third in palms and reptiles, and fourth in mammals.

Because of this, it is the second most biodiverse country on the planet. What an amazing country for an amazing wildlife tour. 

The great diversity of this plants and animal groups in Colombia is associated with its geographical location and topography, which allows the confluence of five major biogeographical regions: Caribbean, Pacific, Andean, Orinoco and Amazon; and the presence of a wide range of ecosystems.

If you are interested in wildlife in Colombia, there are so many places for birdwatching and you can have a unique safari experience as well.

In Los Llanos, the Amazon and even in Antioquia, you can see capybaras, deer, caimans, giant anteaters, monkeys, armadillos, pumas, and many more animals. In this case, we will present to you other exciting wildlife to see in Colombia.

Land Animals to See in Colombia

Spectacled Bears in the Andes 

The unique Andean or Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus) is the last remaining short-faced bear and the only surviving species of bear native to South America. This medium-sized, black mammal –with beige face marks that seem like glasses, inhabits the three Andes mountain ranges.

It is a harmless animal that wouldn’t attack a human unless it feels under threat. However, it is considered Vulnerable in the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species, due to loss of habitat and illegal hunting.

Fortunately, Colombia’s National Parks System has developed a monitoring and conservation strategy for the Spectacled Bear in several protected zones. 

Those who can see this bear in freedom can consider themselves lucky human beings since its population is small and they are elusive. They can be seen in humid montane forests and paramos, in altitudes up to 4,800 meters above sea level.

Solitary Andean bears have been recorded (watch here!) by camera traps in Chingaza National Natural Park, Cueva de Los Guácharos NNP, and Guanentá Alto Río Fonce Flora and Fauna Sanctuary.

If you travel to Bogotá, a day trip to Chingaza NNP might be your chance to see the Spectacled bear directly or indirectly, through tracks on the ground, scratches on trees, beds made of leaves, and other signs. 

Jaguars in Llanos Orientales 

The largest feline in the Americas, and the third–largest in the world, wanders the tropical and subtropical moist forests, dry grasslands, and swamps of Colombia. The existence of water bodies in these habitats is a sign of the jaguar‘s presence — it is a swimmer par excellence. 

This large, solitary feline on the top of the food chain inhabits most of the country’s land: the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, some parts of the Pacific coast, the Orinoco eastern plains, and the vast Amazon. 

However, as a Near Threatened species due to illegal hunting and habitat destruction, it is uncommonly spotted by tourists during wildlife tours in Colombia. 

You can embark on a trip to Hato La Aurora in Los Llanos to seek out a jaguar. Hopefully, you will spot one hiding while waiting to ambush its prey or even chasing its victim.

La Aurora is the largest Civil Society Natural Reserve in Colombia and is located in the towns of Paz de Ariporo and Hato Corozal, 4.5 hours by car from the capital of Casanare.

Know more about the Colombian safari experience in La Aurora in our entry Booking a Safari in Colombia? Find here the Best Options!

Know more about the conservation of the jaguars in Colombia at Panthera Colombia.

Monkeys in Forests and Jungles

Colombia is the sixth richest country in the world in primates along with Brazil, Zaire, Cameroon, Indonesia, Madagascar, and Peru, and the third richest in the region after Brazil and Peru, as it has 38 species and 45 subspecies, including 10 species and 15 endemic taxa.

Of all the primate species found in Colombia, 53% are endangered as a result of the dramatic deforestation of its habitat and its capture for the illegal trade.

Critically endangered species include the Variegated Spider Monkey (Ateles hybridus), the Brown-headed Spider Monkey (Ateles fusciceps), the Caquetá Tití Monkey (Plecturocebus caquetensis) and the Cotton-top Tamarin (Saguinus oedipus). The last two are endemic.

The howler monkeys can be found in the eastern plains, in the department of Meta, easy to hear and somewhat difficult to observe in places like Unamas or Lagos de Menegua. Also in the Amazon.

The cotton-top tamarin is endemic to the tropical forests of northern Colombia, and it is possible to observe them at Los Limites, a small village located on the border between the departments of Atlántico and Bolívar, very close to the town of Luruaco, where the “arepa de huevo” (egg-shaped arepa) originates.

Proyecto Tití places there and focuses on scientific studies of the biology of wild cotton-top tamarins and working with rural communities living in close proximity to cotton-top tamarin forested areas, through sustainable community development and conservation education programs, which includes ecotourism.

Marine Life to See in Colombia

Coral reefs in the Caribbean 

Most people think that corals are marine plants, but they are actually invertebrate animals of great ecological importance. An individual coral is called a polyp and they live in groups of hundreds to thousands of genetically identical polyps that form a ‘colony’.

Hard corals form what we know as coral reefs, the largest living structure on the planet, and the only living structure to be visible from space! Coral reefs are amazing, colorful living beings that host and protect many other marine species, hence its importance. 

In Colombia, you can find the most important coral reef formations in San Bernardo Archipelago and Corales del Rosario Islands, located on the Caribbean sea, approximately 2 and 1–hour boat ride from the city of Cartagena. 

Corales del Rosario y de San Bernardo National Natural Park

Corales del Rosario y de San Bernardo National Natural Park covers an area of 120,000 hectares, protecting the largest coral reef of the Colombian continental Caribbean, with about 420 km2! To appreciate the immense and stunning wildlife inhabiting coral reefs, you can practice scuba diving near Baru, Isla Grande, and Tintipan islands.

Sea turtles, nurse sharks, Caribbean spiny lobsters, Nassau groupers, and many other animals can be seen swimming around these corals, in shallow waters.

Providence Island

In Providence Island, next to San Andres island, you can explore part of the world’s third–largest coral reef, protected as Seaflower Biosphere Reserve.

Visit the Old Providence McBean Lagoon NNP with its mangroves and seven colors sea. 

Visit our entry Next Travel Ideas? Visit the Biosphere Reserves of Colombia, to know more about Seaflower Biosphere Reserve and the other Biosphere Reserves in Colombia.

Hammerhead Sharks in Malpelo Island 

Scuba diving with schools of sharks is one of the attractions of Malpelo, the best diving spot in Colombia. Malpelo is one of the world’s top three spots to dive among sharks!

Malpelo Island is a Flora and Fauna Sanctuary and World Heritage Site found in Colombian Pacific waters, 500 km (up to 36–hour boat ride) from the city of Buenaventura, in Valle del Cauca.

This volcanic formation is actually the highest point of a submarine range: Dorsal de Malpelo, which hosts incredible marine wildlife.  Know more about conservation projects in Malpelo at Protect Malpelo. 

Scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) are found in schools of up to 200 specimens around this island and one of the best spots to observe them is La Nevera, a ‘cleaning station’ where small fish take parasites off the sharks.

Apart from these peculiar sharks, divers can see great schools of fish such as barracuda, tuna, red porgy, and more, along with the rosy-lipped batfish — the ugliest fish in the world, the giant oceanic manta ray, and luckily the small tooth sand tiger  —’Malpelo’s monster, in depths over 45 m (150 ft). 

Malpelo is every diver’s paradise! You should know that only experienced/professional divers with 35 previous logged excursions can visit the island, with a local guide. 

Whales in the Colombian Pacific 

During the second half of the year or most of it, the Colombian Pacific coast gains prominence among wildlife lovers.

From July to late October, large groups of Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) migrate from the South Pole to the warm waters of the northern Pacific Ocean to mate, give birth, and raise their calves. 

Whale watching is one of the greatest wildlife tours for tourists visiting Colombia during this time. 

Choco, Cauca, and Valle del Cauca are common places to observe the whales’ acrobatics and hear their songs. These departments have different spots on the coasts surrounded by lush tropical forests and warmed by the kindness of its inhabitants. 

Gorgona island, Bahía Solano and Ensenada de Utría NNP in Nuquí are favorite spots! 

Gorgona stands out for being a mysterious island with dense jungle, a former prison’s ruins, and a lot of snakes. Here you can also hike, snorkel and do scuba diving to see whale sharks and whitetip reef sharks, and coral reefs.

Find out more about the whale watching season in our blog When and Where to Go to See Humpback Whales in Colombia. 

Reptiles and Amphibians to See in Colombia

Crocodiles and Caimans 

Colombia, along with Venezuela, hosts the largest number of crocodile species (read more). These semi-aquatic reptiles live in tropical regions, gathering around freshwater habitats, such as rivers, lakes, and wetlands. You can find 2 species in Colombia: the Orinoco crocodile and the American crocodile. 

The Orinoco crocodile

The Orinoco crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius), measuring up to 7 meters, is among the largest crocodiles in the world, and the largest predator in South America! It is critically endangered, though. As its name indicates, it lives in the Orinoco basin, both in Venezuela and Colombia. 

Sierra de la Macarena in Meta and El Tuparro National Natural Park in Vichada are both large protected areas open to ecotourism, where you can spot Orinoco crocodiles while discovering the beauty of the llanero landscapes and its wildlife.

La Macarena is home to ‘the most beautiful river in the world’ —Caño Cristales, and animals such as Capuchins, the Speckled tanager, and the Straight-billed woodcreeper.

The vast savanna of El Tuparro hosts the mighty Maipures torrent, as well as tapirs, the Orinoco goose, and giant otters. Find out more about El Tuparro in our entry Next Travel Ideas? Visit the Biosphere Reserves of Colombia.

The American crocodile 

The American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) is the most widespread of the crocodiles from the Americas and inhabits coastal areas, including mangrove swamps and lagoons.

If you travel to Colombia’s Caribbean or Pacific region, you will probably find it still, perhaps with its jaw wide open. Don’t worry, it’s not that they want to hunt you, but this is the way they gain heat.

The Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta Flora and Fauna Sanctuary is one of the crocodiles watching spots. This is a large mangrove swamp where the Northern tamandua, Neotropic cormorant, and West Indian manatee also live. 

The Spectacled Caiman

As if it weren’t surprising enough, you can also find the Spectacled caiman —or Babilla, (Caiman cocodrilus) in Hato La Aurora, the pioneer of the Colombian Safari, or El Encanto de Guanapalo (see tour), also in Casanare. 

Frogs 

About 800 amphibian species of different shapes and colors live in Colombia. Frogs account for 93% of amphibians in the country, which means that there are 734 species. Also, more than half of them are endemic!

However, 53 species are critically endangered because of the destruction of their habitats and collectors of exotic animals. Although most species can be found in the Andean region, the greatest wealth is in the tropical rain forests of the Amazon and the Pacific region, between 0 and 249 MASL. 

Poison dart frogs 

All bright colored and dangerous, are one of the main attractions to herpetologists and wildlife lovers. These can be found in the Biogeographic Choco region,  one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet.

There are frog tours in the departments of Choco and Valle del Cauca, along the Colombian Pacific coast.  

Golden Poison Dart Frog

Actually, in the lush jungles of Choco, you can find the Golden Poison Dart Frog (Phyllobates terribilis), the most poisonous in the world! An adult frog’s skin has enough poison to kill 20,000 mice or 100 human adults.

Although the poison of the Golden Poison Dart Frog only acts when ingested or when entering the body through the mucosae, not the skin, you should be cautious with dart frogs during your wildlife tour.

Other Dart Frogs

Other dart frogs found here are the Black-legged Poison Dart Frog, Kokoe Poison Frog, Yellowbelly Poison Frog, different Harlequin Poison Frogs and the Diablito Poison Frog. 

Get to know dart frogs of the genus Dendrobatidae and others with us in our Dart Frogs Tour in the Biogeographic Choco! You will visit places in Valle del Cauca such as Cali, Anchicayá, the San Cipriano Forest Reserve –both near Buenaventura, the Yotoco Natural Reserve, and Santa Cecilia in Risaralda.

Also, you will witness the Lehmann Frog, Marbled Poison-arrow Frog, Harlequin Poison Frog, Yellow-bellied Poison Frog, Gliding Tree Frog along spectacular snakes and lizards. 

Anacondas 

The Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus) is the heaviest and one of the longest snake species! This reptile, which can reach up to 5 meters long, is native to South America and is mostly found in the Amazon rainforest and the Orinoco basin.

Because of its weight, which reportedly ranges from 30 to 70 kg (66 to 154 lb) in adults, this snake doesn’t stay that much on the ground, but it is an agile swimmer. Its olive–green skin with black botches allows the anaconda to camouflage in the waters and surprise its prey easily.

It is not venomous, but once it has kept its eyes on its victim, it is hard to run away from a fateful death by suffocation. 

When you travel to Colombia and go on an Amazon night safari, watch out for these nocturnal, stealthy reptiles! The other way to meet them is to visit Hato La Aurora —once again. but this place is great!— in the eastern plains of Colombia. 

Plants to See in Colombia 

Orchids in Colombia 

4,270 species of orchids can be found in Colombia. Out of these, 1,572 are not seen anywhere else in the world! Hence, the Cattleya trianae was named as the national flagship flower.

The country’s National Natural Parks host about 20% of the orchids, but the most privileged zone in the national territory is the Andes region, since it hosts over half of the total species, with 944 endemics. 

Finca Romelia Colors of Life

One of the places to admire the beauty of these flowers distinctively shaped and colored is Romelia Farm on the outskirts of Manizales, in the Coffee Region. This family farm is a haven of 8,000 orchids of 840 species, as well as a variety of bonsai and over 200 bird species.

Romelia offers 3 to 5–hour orchids tours around the house, natural trails, and a garden center, where you get a lesson about these stunning flowers and how to sow them. Plus, you get a snack and lunch. The price is around USD 35. 

Puracé National Natiral Park

Another place full of orchids is Puracé NNP in Cauca, a natural reserve that protects a volcanic complex, the source of the Magdalena, Cauca, Patía and Caquetá rivers, some of the main rivers of the country. In this indigenous land, there are over 200 species of orchids that you can appreciate while hiking along the Orquideas trail made of stone. The species Epidendrum fimbriatum is a highlight. 

Find out more about the beautiful orchids of Colombia in our blog The Richest Country in Orchids in the World: Colombia.

The Wax Palm

In terms of flora, Colombia has a major role too. Colombia’s over 45,000 plant species account for 10% of the world’s plant species!  

The Quindio Wax Palm  (Ceroxylon quindiuense)  is the national tree and is the world’s largest palm, reaching up to 60 meters. It is native to the Andean humid montane forests of Los Nevados National Natural Park and you can find it in the high Andean valley of Toche, Tolima, and the Cocora Valley in Quindío. 

I invite you to visit our entries The Wax Palm and Why it is a Must to See When Visiting Colombia and The Unique Wax Palm Forests Landscape Destinations in Colombia.

The Queen Victoria’s water lily

The Queen Victoria’s water lily or Victoria amazonica is another flower that amazes foreigners that visit the Amazon. It is the largest of the water lilies, having a diameter of up to 40 cm (16 in). These amazing floating flowers are pollinated by beetles. 

Frailejón

Last but not least, during your wildlife or hiking tour in Colombia, you have to meet the Frailejones (“big monks”). 

These subshrubs of the genus Espeletia are native to the páramos of Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador and play a key role in the creation of subterranean water deposits.

The Espeletia uribei is one of the world’s tallest —up to 18 m— and can be found in the Chingaza NNP, a páramo near Bogotá. 

So here you have many living reasons to visit Colombia. We hope you dare to explore the breathtaking landscapes of this country and book your wildlife tour with us (tours). 

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References 

• Instituto Humboldt 
• Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia
• Corals 
• Crocodiles
• Frogs 
• Anaconda 
• Orchids 
• Plants
• Panthera Foundation
• Predators in Peril
• Protect Malpelo Project
• Distribución geográfica del mono aullador rojo (Alouatta seniculus) y la fiebre amarilla en Colombia Biomédica vol.36 supl.2 Bogotá Aug. 2016.
• Primatology Association of Colombia
• Endangered Primates of Colombia
• Mongabay Latam

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About the authors.

Ana María Parra

Modern Languages professional with an emphasis on business translation. Interested in the cultural adaptation of written and audiovisual content.  Passionate about knowing new cultures and languages, tourism, and sustainable living.