Costa Rica

 Guided turtle tours are a fun and environmentally-sound way to observe these gentle giants as they come ashore to lay their eggs. Five species and one sub-species of sea turtle nest on both the Caribbean and Pacific Coasts, where park rangers and turtle conservation organizations strive to protect and monitor their populations.

The protected beaches in the Northern Caribbean village of Tortuguero are the largest nesting site for the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) in the Western Hemisphere. Farther south, the shores within the Gandoca- Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge host four species of marine turtle – the loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green, hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea). 

The North Pacific Coast of Guanacaste is home to a pair of significant nesting sites for the Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). In huge waves known as arribadas, tens of thousands of Olive Ridleys return to the beaches of Ostional National Wildlife Refuge to lay their eggs.

Visitors can arrange evening turtle tours with a licensed guide or park ranger. Note that cameras, video or flash photography are strictlyprohibited on night turtle tours. Turtles are extremely sensitive to ambient light, and rangers and biologists want to keep our impact to a minimum. 

Regional Information:

The North Caribbean
Tortuguero National Park is home to four species of sea turtles. The green sea turtle season is officially July 1st- October 31st. Loggerhead turtles appear in smaller numbers around the same time. The leatherback (the largest turtle in the world) nests from March - May, and the hawksbill's nesting season runs from March - October.

Female green sea turtles have an inherent nesting instinct that drives them back to their natal beach to lay eggs. They typically return every two or three years and may nest several times in one season. Females lay anywhere between 80 and 120 eggs per nest, and the eggs incubate for roughly 60 days.  Due to conservation efforts, their numbers are once again on the rise.
 

The South Caribbean
The leatherback turtle comes ashore most abundantly along the shores of the Gandoca- Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge just south of Puerto Viejo. Here, the conservation organization ANAI has been researching turtle nesting habits and protecting leatherbacks for more than 20 years.

Hawksbill sea turtles 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. They typically nest from April through October.
 

The North Pacific
The best months to see Olive Ridley sea turtles in Ostional National Wildlife Refuge are between June and December. Olive Ridleys are known for their huge arribadas, or egg-laying episodes, where tens of thousands of turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. While turtles are spotted here just about any night during the wet season (May-November), the peak months from August to October are truly a treat.

Las Baulas National Marine Park encompasses the beach of Playa Grande, an important nesting site for the endangered leatherback turtle.  Nesting season runs from October through March.

The South Pacific
The beaches of Marino Ballena National Park are a nesting site for both the hawksbill and Olive Ridley turtles. Between the months of May and November, both species nest on the beach and can be observed on night turtle tours.

The black sea turtle (Chelonia mydas agassizii) 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 runs turtle preservation projects in Drake Bay.


Note: Costarica.com’s turtle photos were shot using night vision without any additional light so as not to disturb the nesting turtles.