Tortuguero (Spanish for "Region of Turtles") is a small place on Costa Rica's northeastern Caribbean coast, some 50 miles north of the main port of Limon. It is a tropical paradise with over 300 distinct animal species and a natural environment for diverse fauna.

Almost every female turtle visiting the nest at Tortuguero was captured for the international market for turtle soup in the 1960s, bringing the green turtle species alarmingly facing extinction. STC was founded in 1959 to study and protect Caribbean green turtles. STC assisted in establishing Tortuguero National Park in 1970, collaborating with the Costa Rican authorities to ensure that the turtles were protected and that the number of turtles captured was tightly regulated.

The protected green turtle's largest potential breeding place in the Western Hemisphere is Tortuguero Beach. Turtles such as the giant leatherback, hawksbill, and loggerhead lay their eggs herein.

Turtle Oliver Ridley

  • Scientific Name: Lepidochelys Olivacea
  • Size: The tiniest type, with adults measuring about 70cm in length
  • Weight: Around 40-50 kg
  • The usual number of eggs per nest is 110
  • Attributes: Dark green in color, nearly circular with 5 to 9 lateral scutes, and each forelimb has two claws and two sets of prefrontal scales.
  • It nests along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, primarily from July to February.
  • Extensive nesting of this species happens at Ostional and Nancite beaches, where up to 100,000 females can nest in a single night; for roughly 2 to 5 nights per month.

Loggerhead Turtle

  • Scientific Name: Caretta Caretta
  • Adults are 120 cm long.
  • Height and Weight: 180 kg.
  • The average number of eggs in a nest: 112
  • Main Attributes: The head appears large compared to the rest of the body, earning the nickname "bigheaded turtle" in Costa Rica. The carapace is reddish-brown with five lateral scutes and a creme-colored plastron.
  • Between May and August, a few nests have been discovered on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast.

Turtle Hawksbill

  • Scientific Name: Eretmochelys Imbricata
  • Size: Adults are 80 cm long.
  • The average number of eggs per nest is 155.
  • Characteristics: The popular name originates from the mouth, which resembles the beak of a hawk.
  • The carapace's end is scalloped, and the carapace's plates are imbricated. There are two sets of prefrontal scales on it. Humans have made this one of the most exploited species on the planet.
  • They are caught for their meat, eggs, and skin, but primarily for their shell, used to make jewelry and other items such as combs and glasses frames.
  • Between May and November, it nests primarily on the Caribbean (but possibly on the Pacific) coast of Costa Rica.

Green Turtle

  • Scientific Name: Chelonia Mydas
  • Adults range in length from 100 to 140 cm.
  • The average number of eggs per nest is 110.
  • Features: The carapace is oval with four lateral scutes and a variety of colors. There is only one set of prefrontal scales.
  • It breeds mostly from June to October in Costa Rica, where it has the biggest breeding community on the Atlantic coast.

Pacific Turtle

  • Scientific Name: Chelonia Mydas Agassiz
  • Adults' height is 100 cm.
  • Weight: 100 kg.
  • The average number of eggs per nest is 70.
  • Features: With darker pigmentation and a tear-shaped carapace than the Caribbean, it is regarded as a subtype of the green turtle
  • Costa Ricans don't see it very often.

Turtle Leatherback

  • Scientific Name: Dermochelys Coriacea
  • It can grow to be 2 meters tall.
  • Weight: up to 600 kilograms.
  • The average number of eggs per nest is 110. -
  • Overarching Characteristics: Carapace with seven different spikes and no scutes. White spots on a dark blue background. The hind limbs are extremely lengthy.
  • This genus nests on both coastlines of Costa Rica; on the Caribbean side, they nest from March to July along with the majority of the coast.
  • On the Pacific side, they primarily breed in Playa Grande between September and March.

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Best Time to Visit

The olive ridley, leatherback, green, and hawksbill sea turtles all visit the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Costa Rica at different periods of the year.

  • Turtle nesting season varies per species, although it generally occurs during early March and mid-October.
  • Green turtles: July to mid-October. Peak months- August and September).
  • Leatherback sea turtles: February to June. High season: March to April.

Note: Most turtle nesting places in Costa Rica necessitate visitation through authorized entry points with a supervisor to safeguard the turtles and this significant natural occurrence. If Visitors go to a turtle nesting site, make sure to follow the guide's recommendations and engage as little as possible with the turtles.

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Important Things To Remember

  • At night, everyone going to the beach must be escorted by a licensed guide. The cost of these supervised walks is usually around $15 and $25.
  • The duration of a tour is usually between 2 and 4 hours.
  • Instead of sandals, use sneakers or walking shoes. The beach is very dark, and it's easy to trip over driftwood or other debris at night.
  • Dress in dark colors. White T-shirts are not permitted.
  • Since the lighting deters turtles from laying eggs, torches, flash cameras, and illuminated recording devices are not permitted on the turtle tours.
  • At night, smoking is not allowed on the beach.

Tortuguero National Park is unquestionably one of the most beautiful sites in Central America's northeast. The turtle tour is one of the most famous attractions to do in Tortuguero. It is a remarkable tour with a decent possibility of seeing this phenomenon during the nesting season — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is a must-see attraction for anyone who enjoys outdoors, biodiversity, or turtle gazing.

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