Today we arrived in Parismina along the Caribbean coast line of Costa Rica.

The Caribbean coast is home to some Costa Rica's highest concentration of biodiversity.

It is prime habitat for all sorts of critters, but this one in particular caught my eye several times.

In order to get to Parismina, you have to take a boat down the inner-coastal waterway that runs along the shore. The waterway is only a few hundred feet from the ocean, but is home to some of the most interesting animals.

About 20 minutes into our boat-ride, I spotted what I thought was a baby crocodile along the muddy banks of the river. The boat was traveling pretty fast, and was causing quite a ruckus on the river, that the creature slithered into the water before I could get a clear vision of it.

As we made our way further down the waterway, these crocodilians became more and more common. Pretty soon, I realized that I was looking at spectacledcaimans, not crocodiles.

What language does the caiman get its name from?

Spectacled caimans are much smaller than crocodiles. They only measure about 3 - 3 1/2 feet in length. They are very interesting animals though. Some scientists believe that crocodilians (alligators, caimans, and crocodiles) are some of the oldest animals on Earth today.

Caimans are some of Costa Rica's best predators. The adults live primarily on vertebrate animals, like fish, amphibians, reptiles, and sometimes even other caimans. They have a tremendous ability to store energy, and can go for several days without eating.