3 hours
19:00 – 22:00
Year-round · best dry season
2–4 photographers
Easy · stationary setup
The experience
Boca Tapada hosts several species of nectar-feeding bats that visit night-blooming flowers (Abutilon, Ochroma pyramidale/balsa, Mucuna). Edward has developed a multi-flash setup with infrared beam trigger: as a bat crosses the beam it fires 3 flashes at 1/32 power, freezing motion mid-hover at a chosen flower. The setup is pre-focused and pre-composed — your job is to press the shutter. Species most commonly captured: Pallas's Long-tongued Bat, Underwood's Long-tongued Bat, occasionally Common Vampire Bat at fruit.
Target species
Pallas's Long-tongued Bat
Glossophaga soricina
Underwood's Long-tongued Bat
Hylonycteris underwoodi
Common Vampire Bat
Desmodus rotundus
Seba's Short-tailed Bat
Carollia perspicillata
Edward's field tips
Bats are more active on warm humid nights without moonlight. Set camera to manual, 1/200 s (flash sync), f/11–16, ISO 400. Don't touch the setup — Edward re-adjusts between shots.
Plan around early starts
Where to stay in Boca Tapada
Sessions start early — staying in the zone is strongly recommended. Transport is coordinated by VIVO inside the booking flow.
Other Boca Tapada sessions
Hummingbird Garden & Feeders
Six hummingbird species at close range, sugar feeders and native flowering plants.
Hummingbird Multi-Flash Workshop
Professional multi-flash setup for wing-frozen hummingbird portraits — a fully configured session.
King Vulture Photography Hide
Purpose-built ground hide with baited perch. Costa Rica's most reliable King Vulture site.