Episode 16 - The White Faced Monkey Family and the Young Monkey’s Giant Leap

On one of my favorite beach walks in Costa Rica, where the ocean meets the muck and every turn can change the whole day…I was strolling along the shoreline, camera ready as always, when I took a little detour just off the spot I call the bird sanctuary. A slight rustling in the trees above caught my ear. I looked up and there they were! An entire troop of white faced monkeys, babies and all, hanging, sleeping, grooming and playing right overhead.I stood there for a long time, completely still, just watching as a guest in their world. They knew I was there. A few gave me the classic side eye but mostly they carried on with their day, unbothered. Eventually the group started moving down the tree line, swinging branch to branch, munching on fruits and nuts along the way.The moment that still makes me smile is the little silhouette of one young monkey caught mid swing between two giant palm leaves. He looked momentarily stuck! Tail wrapped around one leaf, hands gripping another… figuring out the path to the next branch. Then, with all his might, he swung himself forward and made it safely across.As a photographer this was pure magic and pure challenge at the same time. The monkeys were high up, the light was filtered through the palms and I was shooting from the ground with my zoom lens, trying to capture not just the animals but the whole lively scene. Babies clinging to moms, adults grooming, the whole troop in motion. It took patience and a steady hand, but that’s the adventure of it! Turning a casual beach walk into a front row seat for their everyday life.White faced monkeys are incredibly social and playful, living in troops that move through the trees with ease. Watching them that day reminded me how graceful they are in their own world. And how much we can learn from their fearlessness. In a jungle full of giants, this little one didn’t wait for an easier path. He assessed, reached and swung with everything he had until he made it.One Lens, One Swing: Sometimes the path ahead looks impossible but a little determination and the right kind of reach gets you exactly where you need to go.Episode Wild Photograph: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXFGnc0kd4v/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Follow the wild on Instagram, X + TikTok: @sarahlutkewild Prints & more: sarahlutkewild.com #WildlifePhotography #CostaRica #PuraVida