My Tortuguero Adventure!

This past week we had a 3 day weekend due to Columbus Day; we had to celebrate it a week late for some reason I don't really understand. So myself and four other friends embarked across the country in search of tiny little turtles! The Green Turtle has a nesting season from July-October in Tortuguero with August and September being the best months to go. So, I was a little nervous we'd fail our mission since we were arriving at the end of the season.

At 6am we were picked up and we began our journey. As soon as our tour guide, Maria, started taking our names and details about us, I knew I was in for a long ride. She went all around the bus introducing one another and giving little facts about us all. Then she wanted us all to say why we were coming to Tortuguero. "Isn't it obvious?" I was thinking in my rather crabby state. I just wanted to listen to my music and sleep but all I could hear was her loud voice telling me all about Costa Rican facts. Luckily, she eventually stopped talking and I fell asleep. When I awoke, we had stopped at a banana plant (factory? farm?) I learned that bananas do not grow on trees! They are from a herb...didn't really understand that translation, hierba, but whatever.

When we finally reached the point of transfer, I was ready for our boat ride. It takes an additional hour to get to the lodge going on the river. We left at 6am and we arrived at Mawamba Lodge at 2pm. Surprisingly, it didn't feel like that long of a journey. We quickly had lunch and then we went on a tour of the place. We got to see a Red Eyed Tree Frog! He was soooo cute!!!! I had just put on bug spray though, so I was unable to touch him...tear. After the tour, I went to take a siesta while the others went for a beer. When we all joined back up for dinner I heard the news: A little baby turtle got lost looking for the ocean and somehow scampered into someone's cabin! My friends got to see him because a worker brought him around before taking him back to the ocean. Poor little guy, needs to work on his directions. I'm pretty sure that, if I were a turtle, that would be me. I was convinced I had missed my chance to see a baby turtle and felt sorry for myself all through dinner. Luckily, we had signed up for the Turtle Tour that night so I still had hope.

We left at 9pm in search of turtles. You aren't allowed to take any pictures at night so as not to disturb the turtles. The turtles come to lay eggs every 4 years. During the year, they come to the beach about 6 times. During their first visit, the whole process takes them about 2 hours 30 minutes and they lay about 120 eggs. By their last visit, it takes them about 1 hour 45 minutes and they lay about 60 eggs. The sad part, only about 1 or 2 out of every 1000 will ever grow to be adults. :( We got really lucky and there was a mama turtle laying her eggs when we arrived. We were a little late so we didn't actually see the egg laying process but we watched her bury her eggs and then head back to sea. It was amazing. She was so big! Probably 3-4ft long and 2-3ft across. Our guide told us that the Leather Backs are twice as big! (They nest in January in Guanacaste and April-June in Tortuguero.) He also told us that the night time is not the time to see the babies hatch. You have to come at either sunrise or sunset. They hatch throughout the day but then they rest underground until the time is right for them to make their escape to the ocean! So our group decided to get up at 5am the next morning to see the little tykes. 5am came...and went. We continued sleeping...

The next day we went for a boat tour through Tortuguero National Park. It was VERY wet. I didn't enjoy it as much as I would have liked due to the fact that I was drenched and worried my camera was going to get wet. I did get to see the Jesus Lizard, I think that's his name. The one that can run across water on his hind legs. That was cool. We returned back just in time to head to the beach in pursuit of babies! As soon as we got to the beach we saw a big group hudled around about 200 meters away. We started walking faster, then one of us would run for a few feet and then walk. Finally, I just took off running. There were babies everywhere!!! It was the most precious thing I have ever seen. These little  guys were so adorable. They kept getting stuck in our feet prints and some got a little turned around while looking for the ocean. They would scurry for a bit, quickly rest, and scurry some more. I put my hand down and let them run over it. We got to see three sets of turtles hatch and go to sea! Loved it!

This has, by far, been my favorite experience in CR thus far. I get to come back in April with my students and then my Bro and I are coming in June. Can't wait!!!