TURTLE SEASON in and around Costa Rica

Ahhhhh (well, in between an "Ahhhh" and a "SCARMO monster looking!!")

(Mamma to be Turtles Returning to the Beach to Breed [in Ostional])

(Baby Turtles Returning to the Sea [in Ostional])

TURTLE NESTING•BREEDING SEASON
WHEN

TURTLE BREEDING SEASON varies by region around Costa Rica but overall the most turtles can be found around Costa Rica around the beginning of JULY to the end of OCTOBERish.

Female sea turtles have an inherent nesting instinct that drives them back to their natal beach to lay eggs. They typically return every 2 or 3 years and may nest several times in one season. Females lay anywhere between 80-120 eggs per nest, and the eggs incubate for roughly 60 days yet I’ve seen only 1 in about 5,000 Sea Turtles will become adults.  Hence mothers don’t usually see their babies ever again (I’ve heard that sometimes you can see tears coming from the momma turtles eyes as they’re returning to the sea).

TURTLE TOURS

Hours for the Turtle Tours depends on the high tide - varying anywhere from 5:30pm to 2am or LATER!!  It can also be an arduous experience waiting for them - especially the Leatherbacks as they can often take up to 2 hours to come ashore but MANY people consider it a VERY MOVING experience!!  Arrange tours ONLY through a CERTIFIED LICENSED guide or park ranger (or through your hotel). IMPORTANT NOTE:  cameras, flashlights, video or flash photography are STRICTLY PROHIBITED on night turtle tours as turtles are extremely sensitive to ambient light and noise which could cause them to return to the sea early, and rangers and biologists want to keep our impact to a minimum.

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SEA TURTLE SPECIES and

WHAT AREAS TO FIND THEM

Costa Rica is breading grounds to many of the world species of Sea Turtles - the:

(from AnyWhereCostaRica.com/maps/turtle-nesting)

LEATHERBACK TURTLE's  

(Dermochelys Coriacea [aka in Costa Rica as “Baulas”]) 

The LARGEST TURTLES IN THE WORLD (AVERAGING 5’/1.5mts and AVERAGING 772 lbs/350 kg!) =
Pacific and Caribbean Coast
http://CostaRicaTurtles.org/costa_new_leatherback.html
http://Leatherback.org

LOGGERHEAD TURTLE's

(Caretta Caretta)

Tortuguero and Caribbean
http://CostaRicaTurtles.org/costa_new_loggerhead.html

OLIVE RIDLEY TURTLE's

(Lepidochelys Olivacea) 

Pacific Coast-Guanacaste
http://CostaRicaTurtles.org/costa_new_oliveRidley.html

HAWKSBILL TURTLE's

(Eretmochelys Imbricata)

Pacific and Caribbean Coast
http://CostaRicaTurtles.org/costa_new_hawksbill.html

GREEN SEA TURTLE's

(Chelonia Mydas) 

Caribbean Coast and Pacific Coast
http://CostaRicaTurtles.org/costa_new_green.html

BLACK SEA TURTLE's

(Chelonia Mydas Agassizii 
[some say it's a form of a Green Sea Turtle]) 

Southern Pacific Coast

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JULY 1-OCT. 31

NORTHERN CARIBBEAN

Tortuguero National Park (http://CostaRica-NationalParks.com/tortugueronationalpark.html) is home to 4 species of sea turtles. Tortuguero is the largest nesting site for the:  Leatherback (their highest nesting period is from around March to May), Green Sea Turtle, Loggerhead Turtles (appear in smaller numbers around the same time) and Hawksbill's (nesting season runs from March to October).

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

COTERC (http://coterc.org / Volunteer - http://coterc.org//?page_id=25#axzz0xfUX9asD ) just north of Tortuguero. A biologist runs the remote jungle station, accessible mostly by canoe - the station is staffed by volunteers who generally pay for the privilege of living in very rustic conditions, eating beans and rice and spending long hours working on turtle conservation throughout the night!! 

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APRIL to OCTOBER

SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN

The Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge (http://CostaRica-NationalParks.com/gandocamanzanillowildliferefuge.html) just south of Puerto Viejo hosts 4 species of marine turtle – the LoggerHead, Green, Hawksbill - are protected along the shores of Playa Negra in the village of Cahuita (the Hawksbill is one of the smaller marine turtles and has a beautiful, serrated shell) and the LARGEST SELECTION of LeatherBacks. The conservation organization ANAI has been researching turtle nesting habits and protecting Leatherbacks for more than 20 years.

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JUNE to DECEMBER

NORTHERN PACIFIC COAST - GUANACASTE

Playa Grande - Las Baulas National Marine Park ( http://CostaRica-NationalParks.com/lasbaulasnationalmarinepark.html )  encompasses the beach of Playa Grande, an important nesting site for the endangered Leatherback Turtles.  Nesting season runs from October through March.  

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A GREAT COOL boutique hotel to stay at with the BEST RESTAURANT I’ve found in Costa Rica (the Great Waltini's Restaurant and Bar) - that’s located ON the Estuary is - Hotel Bula Bula (http://HotelBulaBula.com  Tell them Vicki sent ya!!)

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Ostional National Wildlife Refuge ( http://CostaRica-NationalParks.com/ostionalwildliferefuge.html ) - Olive Ridley Sea Turtles are known for their huge arribadas/egg-laying episodes, where tens of thousands of turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. Turtles are spotted here just about any night during the wet season (May-November) but the peak months are August to September/October (though often just a few days each month).

VOLUNTEER

http://OstionalVolunteer.com

Playa Camaronal (south of Carillo Beach and Ostional Wildife Refuge - north of Nosara and Samara), hosts the Leatherback and Olive Ridley Sea Turtles). Scientists, students, researchers and volunteers work diligently at Camaronal’s Turtle Hatchery/Refugio de Vida Silvestre Nacional Camaronal ( http://FundacionCamaronal.org/drupal/node/15 ) - initiated by Costa Rica’s marine turtle restoration program (PRETOMA - http://PRETOMA.org). Camaronal Wildlife Refuge ( http://CostaRica-NationalParks.com/camaronalwildliferefuge.html )

Santa Rosa National Park, the oldest in the region, is home to 2 of these beaches.  Naranjo is difficult to get to because of poor road conditions (the 7-mile dirt road is normally ONLY passable with a 4-wheel drive in dry season). Nancite Beach is restricted because of turtle nesting research programs, and advance permission is required to visit this beach, which involves a difficult hike from Playa Naranjo. 

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MAY-NOVEMBER

SOUTH PACIFIC

Ballena National Marine Park ( http://CostaRica-NationalParks.com/ballenanationalmarinepark.html ) beaches are a nesting site for both the Hawksbill and Olive Ridley Turtles. Both species nest on the beach and can be observed on night turtle tours.

The Black Sea Turtle can be observed nesting along the shores of the Osa Peninsula. This sea turtle is slightly smaller than the Green Sea Turtle and nests sporadically along the coast. There is still much debate in the scientific community if the black sea turtle is a sub-species of the Green Sea Turtle, or its own species. The Osa Sea Turtle Conservation Program (http://OsaConservation.org/Volunteer.html) runs turtle preservation projects in Drake Bay.

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Please NEVER NEVER NEVER TOUCH OR REMOVE 

THESE PRECIOUS SPECIES OR THEIR EGGS!!  

It is HIGHLY ILLEGAL (except in a few "controlled" areas.  

And please don’t be stupid and eat the eggs if you find them at a bar.  If ya have a problem getting it up, work on it or get Viagra [turtle eggs are considered an aphrodesiac]).




NOTE ABOUT THESE PICTURES THAT HAVE BEEN CIRCULATING AROUND THE INTERNET FOR YEARS


THE TRUTH:

I agree it looks bad, but this is actually the ONLY place in Costa Rica (and apparently the world) that this is legal. Here's why:   "So many turtles come onto the beach in a short time span that most of the first nests are destroyed by later turtles. Therefore, in 1987, a project was initiated to allow local people the right to collect and sell a percentage of the eggs from the first 3 days of each arribada. This is the ONLY place in the world where it is legal to harvest turtle eggs. This practice is designed to PREVENT poaching and to help the local community." (from:  

CostaRica-Embassy.org/?q=node%2F106
CostaRica-NationalParks.com/ostionalwildliferefuge.html)

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(this is by NO MEANS any "official" site or even slightly knowledgeable.  I'm just combining info I've gathered from various resources [which I'll add later].  I'm just sharin' some basic info to help a friend figure out the scene and I make NO profit from ANY of this!!).

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CUSTOM TRAVEL PLANNING

If you're seeking Transportation, Places to Stay, Doctors/Dentists - I can connect you with some of the BEST people I've found!!  

Contact me at 
LivingLifeInCostaRica@gmail.com
1-941-312-7569 (from the US )  •  (506) 8-378-6679 (from CR) or 
Skype - VallartaVicki - and I'll Connect you!!!

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PLEASE "SHARE" this link with EVERYONE you know that is interested in the turtles in Costa Rica!
 LivingLifeInCostaRica.blogspot.com/2010/08/turtle-season-costa-rica.html

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