Map Las Baulas National Marine Park, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

SPEAK FOR THESE CREATURES WHICH CAN NOT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

The leatherback sea turtle is the world’s largest sea turtle and is in danger of becoming extinct. In Costa Rica, it nests on the beaches of Tortuguero National Park during  the months of March through May.  One can go with a park ranger at night to see these turtles nesting but you may not take photos  because the light disturbs the turtles.    These turtles have survived for over one hundred million years but now are considered endangered and are under protection because their numbers are decreasing around the world.  The Leatherback sea turtle can be found in every ocean in the world except the Arctic Ocean and and Antarctic  Ocean.

If you are vacationing in Costa Rica during the months of February through May you have a great chance to see Leatherback sea turtle  nesting in the southern Caribbean coastlines of Costa Rica.  Especially in a protected area called Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Reserve on the very southern tip of Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coastline.

Also the Leatherback sea turtle  nests on the Northwestern Pacific beaches of Costa Rica in large number in Las Baulas National Park during the months of November through April.
This area is especially popular with tourists because  it is near by the popular tourist town of Tamarindo where tourist from all over world come to enjoy the sunshine and the warm Pacific Ocean.

There are many reasons that the Leatherback sea turtle is endangered.  1.  Eggs are stolen from the nesting sites for consumption by the locals.  They claim the eggs are  aphrodisiacs.
Killed in fishing lines and struck by boats.  3. Coastal developments damage and destroy nesting sites.  Examples of this is homes and condos being built along the beach, bringing  large numbers of people who interfere with the turtles nesting rituals.
4. Global Warming which warms the temperatures of the oceans is affecting the food supply of the leatherback.  Also,  large amounts of plastics are  being dumped into  the oceans by boats and the leatherback sea turtle  thinks it is good to eat, but it is very harmful to the turtles digestive system.

It is estimated that only one in one thousand hatchlings survive to adulthood.

How can We  help Protect the Leatherback Sea Turtle? By joining the efforts of The World Wildlife Fund  which works with fisheries around the world to decrease the numbers being caught.  Also local communities ban together and protect critical nesting sites.  We see this in Tortuguero, Costa Rica on the Northwest Caribbean Coast and  also in the Northwestern Beaches of Guanacaste where the Costa Rica government has established the Las Baulas National Park to work with the locals to protect these turtles and also to give tourist an opportunity to learn about the world’s largest marine turtle.

Tourism to Costa Rica has brought a large number of dollars into the country and  part of this money  has been used wisely by the Costa Rican government to help develop these National Parks and Wildlife Refuges.    Costa Rica Learn strives to provide those of you thinking of a vacation in Costa Rica with on going helpful travel tips and other valuable information on travel to Costa Rica.  Our information  is categorized on page one of our web page.  so please check out these categories to find information on your  topic of interest.

It is difficult to realize just how large the leatherback sea turtle is by looking at the photo below.  They can grow to a shell length  of 1.7 meters and weight up to 900 kg (approx 2,000 lb). Indeed the largest sea turtle on earth!

Learn more about Las Baulas National Marine Park at  www.costarica-nationalparks.com/lasbaulasnational marinepark.html

Endangered Leatherback Sea Turtle, Costa Rica

The Tamarind Tree of Costa Rica

Tamarind Pods

Tamarind is a tropical fruit tree native to Africa. It grows in tropical climates and can survive without a lot of rainfall, such as the NW Pacific areas of Guanacaste in Costa Rica.  Its tree itself is often planted for a shade tree and it’s  fruit contains an acidic pulp, dark red in color.    This pulp is used to make a drink which quinches the thirst, and is very popular in Costa Rica.  If you are vacationing in Costa Rica be sure to order a Tamarind drink and see how you like it.  In the glass it has a color similar to red wine.

There is a small town in Costa Rica named Tamarindo, located on the NW Pacific beach of Costa Rica in the province of Guanacsate.  Don’t know if it is named for this tropical fruit tree. Tamarindo is famous for surfing because the waves there are just right, even for beginner surfers.  There are long stretches of beach nice for walking especially in the late afternoon.  The sunset is beautiful.

Deep Sea fishing is great in Tamarindo.  The beautiful deep blue waters of the Pacific Ocean offer the best of sailfish, large tuna, and marlin.

In recent years Tamarindo has become a very popular destination for young people looking for sun and fun.  There is abundant night life in the high season of December through March. And lots of small locally owned  restaurants.

So if you are traveling to Costa Rica and want a beach destination, check out Tamarindo and be sure to order a Tamarind drink.

Tamarindo Wildlife Refuge covers about 400 hectaries (a very large area)  was created to protect the vast Mangrove swamps in the area, at the request of the locals who saw the large high rise developments going up near Tamarindo and were afraid that this would continue on up to the Grande Beach and other beautiful and serene beaches to the north of Tamarindo.

There are several species of mangrove that flourish on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.  The black mangrove, the white mangrove,  the tea mangrove, and the buttonwood mangrove.  Many birds made their home in these mangroves.  The most commonly seen are the great egret, white ibis, great blue heron, and the Muscovy duck.

Las Baulas National Park comprises three beaches, Grande Beach, Ventana Beach, and Langosta Beach.  Grande Beach which is part of the Tamarindo wildlife refuge, is one of the most important nesting sites for the leather back turtle, and the park was created in part to protect these turtles.   The turtles come here  to nest from November through April.

The leather back turtle is the largest of all sea turtles growing up to two meters long and weighing up to 700 kg. It’s the only turtle that has a very thick skin cover, very much like leather.  As many as 200 of these turtles may lay their eggs in one night.

Playa Grande (Beach)  is popular with tourists because of it’s long span of unspoiled beach with light brown sand.  The waters are calm enough for swimming and sometimes the waves are large enough for surfing.  You can see animals that live in the beach sand such as hermit crabs, ghost crabs, and mouth less crabs.

Where is Tamarindo Wildlife Refuge and Las Baulas National Park  located?  In the NW Pacific coast of Costa Rica in the Nicoya Peninsula.  It is just north of the  beach town of Tamarindo.

Many people come here for bird watching.  There are so many birds such as sandpipers, brown pelicans, frigate birds,  and the roseate spoonbill, plus several different kinds of seagulls.  Early morning is the best time to see the most birds.

Howler monkeys also make their home in the park.

Best time of year to visit.  Well if you want to see the turtles nesting then November through April.

Year round the weather is nice here, but on the hot side.  Around 80 degrees F.   This area of Costa Rica gets less rainfall than the other parts of the country so you generally see sunny mornings.  May through November you will get late afternoon thunderstorms.

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