 Location: The Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge is
located about 12 kms southeast of Puerto Viejo. The beautiful
refuge is situated south of a village of Manzanillo. Also forming a
part of the refuge are the tiny villages of Punta Uva Manzanillo,
Punta Mona, and Home Creek. The coral reef right across the Punta
Uva Manzanillo is a be a big favourite with scuba divers with its
beautiful line-up of coral reefs and the colorful sea creatures
like fishes, sea anemones, sea urchins and sponges.
Habitat: The wildlife refuge is made of beaches, coral reefs,
grasslands, mangroves and forests. The beautiful refuge also has
white sands and beaches lined up with coconut trees. Mainly, the
refuge is made up of tropical rainforests. The white sand beaches
form a part of Manzanillo and one can find the swamps near the
Gandoca Lagoon. The Gandoca Lagoon has a Red Mangrove, only one of
its types in Costa Rica. The people inhabiting the Gondaca village
are primarily Hispanics.
Animal species: The animal species along the reef includes
creatures like lobsters, sponges, red and black urchins, green
anemones, crabs, hydroids, sea cucumbers, shrimp and green turtles.
You can also find here many species of birds and animals, in which
some even fall in the endangered list. Some of the creatures you
find here are: tapir, crocodile, West Indian manatee, tarpon,
cayman, magnificent frigatebird, brown pelican, lineated
woodpecker, collared aracari, chestnut-mandibled toucan, sulphur
winged parakeet, red-lored amazon, and ornate hawk-eagle. The place
also has mammals like rodents, manatees and tapir. There are also
about 358 species of birds in this place.
Floral species: The trees dotting the scape of the forests
are tall and thick. There is a mahogany point where a number of
mahogany species dot the island. The floors of the marshes are
covered with the hollilo palm, which serve as food for tapirs.
Total area: The refuge is spread over a wide expanse of
land covering 4,436 hectares of marine area and 5,000 hectares of
protected land.
Climate: The place gets moderate rainfall through the year,
but lesser in intensity in the months from March to April and from
September to October. The temperatures of the area hover in the
range of 25- 26ºC.
This beauty of the refuge is striking, with the mangroves, the
beaches, and the coral reefs. You can also come here for anything,
from bird watching to cycling to hiking to horseback riding.
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