Tortuguero (Oct 25-26)

We met out bus at 6:30 am and drove again through the fabulous Brauilo Carillo Parque National. This time we had a guide who enthusiastically pointed out various volcanoes, changes in ecological niches, riverside sedimentation, etc. This was so interesting that although this part of the trip was about two hours, we never got a chance to read. We also stopped at a banana plantation for a quick examination of the banana trees and the factory in which the bananas were sliced off the stalks, sorted, washed, bundled, etc. Also saw a huge Rhinoceros beetle there happily munching on some sugar cane.


We arrived in Tortuguero by boat along the very long canals, with many beautiful herons, spoonbills, mangrove swallows, anhingas, and of course, the ubiquitous howler monkeys. The town is amazing. Although Puerto Viejo and Cahuita were small, Tortuguero is smaller, with exactly one road. Well, not exactly a road either, as there are no cars. I guess we can call it a paved path.



In the afternoon, Amy and Anthony were on the beach at just the right moment to see a nest hatch out, and the last of those baby turtles waddle off to the ocean. They were incredibly cute!

Survival rates for babies are something like 1/100. Thus, there is a strong focus on not disturbing mother turtles from egg laying, and trying to protect the nests from scavengers.

In the evening we had to find internet service in this tiny town in order to send one of Ruthie’s college application files to her school counselor. We finally found it, in what had been the parlor or a bedroom in someone’s house. The child who helped us had been doing his homework at the kitchen table. Definitely feels like cottage “industry” here!

For the late night turtle tour, we went again by canal to reach the beach. We had to wear dark clothes, not bring cameras or lights and be very quiet. We were lead by a guide who had a flashlight with a red filter in it, so as not to disturb any turtles, and almost immediately a mother was sighted. We were not allowed to go near her until she had dug her nest and begun to lay her eggs. Although mothers are sensitive to interruption while coming on shore or digging, once they start laying eggs, nothing stops that process. So we were able to get very very close, and see the glistening eggs, which was pretty marvelous. When she was finished laying, she covered up the hole very well, and then lumbered back to sea. These turtles are huge (around 300 pounds) and it is amazing to see them return from sand to ocean.

In the morning, Anthony went for an early morning walk and found many tracks of other mother turtles who had come ashore. His walk was interrupted by a huge thunderstorm, which fortunately cleared before a day of searching the canals for more wonderful flora and fauna (see below). Home in time for dinner and another 5-day week in San Jose.