Costa Rica: Birds, Butterflies & Breathtaking Scenery
February 4 - 13, 2012
Land Cost: $2,195.00 per person (double occupancy)
Estimated Total Airfare Cost: $389.00 per person, round trip

Costa Rica is a small democratic nation situated in the heart of tropical Central America. About the size of West Virginia, Costa Rica possesses an unusually high proportion of the earth's biodiversity, making it a "biodiversity hotspot" for scientists all around the world. Costa Rica literally means "Rich Coast" in Spanish, and has riches beyond belief.

A strong agricultural and tourism sector has made this one of the most stable Latin American economies, while exemplary nature conservation programs have directly protected over 25% of the country as designated preserves and reserves. These reserves are home to some of the worlds most spectacular bird species, including the Collared Trogon, Resplendent Quetzal, Blue-Crowned Motmot, Keel-billed Toucan, Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, Turquoise Cotinga, Bay-headed Tanager, Green Honeycreeper, Golden-browed Chlorophonia and over 50 species of hummingbirds, just to name a few! The diversity of bird life can only be rivaled by the diversity of butterflies found in Costa Rica, which total around 1,000 different species. Among these are some of the most brilliant in the entire world, such as the Blue Morpho, Clearwing Butterflies, Thoas Swallowtail, Ruby Spotted Swallowtail, Tiger Longwing, Crimson Patched Longwing, Owl Butterfly, Pearly Malachite, and many more. It could even be argued that the now familiar term "eco-tourism" arose in Costa Rica, due to its strong community development programs being funded by educational nature tourism throughout the nation.

In your visit to this natural paradise, you will have the opportunity to explore the rainforest, cloud forest and coastal Introduction areas with the aid of bilingual Costa Rican naturalists, expedition leaders, and faculty from the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida. Through field interpretations and discussions by local and international experts, you will gain a unique and intimate understanding of Costa Rica. Join the Florida Museum and Expedition Travel on this extraordinary journey to Mother Nature's paradise!

Program Leaders:

Dr. David W. Steadman, Curator of Ornithology at the Florida Museum of Natural History and Mr. J. Court Whelan, Doctoral Fellow, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida

Mr. J. Court Whelan, General Manager for Expedition Travel, Inc. and current Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida, is making all logistical arrangements for the trip and has guided previous groups to Mexico, South and Central America, the South Pacific, Madagascar, and the Galapagos Islands.

For registration information, please contact: Court Whelan - expeditiontravel@gmail.com

Download the Costa Rica 2012 trip bochure (PDF)

NOTE: Dates, prices and itineraries are subject to change. Prices are per person based on double occupancy.