Sea Turtle Conservation in Central America
The Importance of Ecotourism in Central America
How many of us have actually seen a true miracle in our lifetime? What defines a miracle? Surpassing insurmountable odds? Overcoming numerous obstacles? Defying failure with circumstances at a dismally low success rate? Believe it or not, those of us who have been lucky enough to spot an adult sea turtle are in fact witnessing a truly miraculous creature in nature. A miracle of life, if you will. What makes the sea turtle such a phenomenon? Let’s take a look at the numbers:
Say an adult female sea turtle lays 1,000 eggs. Sounds like plenty of sea turtles to go around, correct? However, how many of those sea turtle eggs will make it to become adult sea turtles? Consider these odds. Out of 1,000 sea turtle eggs:
- 200 eggs DO NOT hatch
- 400 baby turtles DO NOT make it to the water
- 200 baby turtles DO NOT progress to adulthood
- 120 baby turtles DO NOT make it to breeding age
- 18 DO NOT survive due to human interference
Who’s good with mental math? 938 sea turtles out of 1000 do not make it to become adults. 62 out of 1,000 means that sea turtles have less than a 10% chance of surviving. 6.2%! Yet somehow, these majestic animals have been around since the dinosaur age and are still with us here today. Well, somewhat with us, and it is up to us to make sure they continue to survive. Take a look at the endangered status for the seven species of sea turtles that swim our world’s seven seas as reported by the World Wildlife Organization.
And boy, do sea turtles ever swim the Earth’s oceans! Sea turtles can travel hundreds of thousands of miles from their feeding grounds to their nesting beach. Imagine walking from Panama to Mexico and back every year!! What makes this feat even more impressive is that a female sea turtle will faithfully return to nest on the exact same beach that she was born! What loyal creatures with amazing built in GPS systems! Don’t believe us? See for yourself how you can track and even adopt your own sea turtle with the Sea Turtle Conservancy.
Sea turtles are miraculous creatures, and fortunately many Latin American countries are doing their part to help protect these unique reptiles. Sea turtle conservation in Costa Rica has truly made an effort of promoting awareness and education for both those living in Costa Rica and those visiting. Of all of Central America sea turtle conservation projects, Costa Rica in particular is known for its investment in ecotourism and educating visitors on responsible travel practices.
What are the most popular beach destinations in Costa Rica to see sea turtles as they continue their precarious life cycle? Over 25% of Costa Rica’s landmass is protected, many of which are national parks. Tortuguero National Park is one of the 26 national parks located in Costa Rica on the northeastern Caribbean coast about 50 miles north of Limon. It is a sea turtle safe haven and now considered the most important turtle nesting site for the endangered green turtle in the Western hemisphere. Read more about the history of turtle conservation in Tortuguero here.
If you are planning a vacation to Costa Rica, consider booking one of our eco-friendly tours to Tortuguero to experience this miracle of life for yourself during turtle nesting season (from July to October every year). Enjoy a two or three day expedition in Tortuguero National Park. Departing from San Jose, Arenal, or Puerto Viejo, this is one of the best values in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica may be the best known destination for sea turtles, but other countries in Central America are doing their part as well. Want to really get hands-on with sea turtle conservation? Look no further than the Azuero Region of Panama! Here, volunteers have the opportunity to actively participate in the conservation of sea turtles in Panama. Nightly patrols, measuring sea turtles, and assisting in research data-collection are just a few of the ways that volunteers can become involved. With plenty of free-time during the day and on weekends, this is one vacation you can come home feeling truly proud of yourself for taking. Find more information about volunteering with Volunteer Abroad.
Wherever you decide to vacation south of the border, be sure to keep in mind these majestic creatures and consider doing your part to help protect sea turtles through conservation efforts. Be respectful of the turtle nesting areas, do not eat turtle eggs, and when possible participate in some sort of local sea turtle conservation project. We all share one world, after all. Viva sea turtles!