Playing Paparazzo on Costa Rica's Wild Peninsula (PHOTOS)

On the Osa Peninsula, located in the deep south of Costa Rica, an astounding array of wildlife plays forgetful host to the travelers passing through. As the vast abundance of species go about the daily business of eating and avoiding being eaten, they barely recognize visitors' existence, which is a photographer's dream scenario.

My camera never left my side.

I took all of these pictures while at Lapa Rios, a rainforest ecolodge and 1000-plus-acre wildlife reserve at the tip of the peninsula connected by a corridor of primary forest to Corcovado National Park.

Many of these photos were captured on daily hikes led by deeply passionate and incredibly knowledgeable guides, all of whom grew up in the Osa Peninsula. Without their expert eyes and insights, many of the dramatic scenes playing out at any given moment might have gone unnoticed.

These 15 photos are a small sample of what we saw. If you want to see more, hop on a plane and head down yourself. Whether you arrive in San Jose or Liberia, you can jump on Nature Air's short flights to Drake Bay or Puerto Jimenez. These domestic flights, typically on 20-seat planes, fly at much lower altitudes and give you a chance to see how green Costa Rica truly is.

Even before you land, its likely that you will have your camera in hand.