Advertisement

Turtles in Tortuguero, Costa Rica

“Follow me as closely and as quietly as possible. It is very important we try to remain invisible.” These hushed words came from our seasoned turtle guide, Marco, as he lead a group of us along a moonlit beach path toward what we hoped would be a very special experience.

It was 10pm and we were stumbling toward Tortuguero Beach, the Costa Rican Caribbean beach famous for viewing nesting Green Turtles, in the hopes of catching one of these big green beauties in action.

We had been told earlier that night we were in luck. The turtle spotters had seen a half a dozen mamma turtles surf into shore, trundle their way up the beach and begin to build their nests.

After blindly making our way to the beach, the moonlight did a perfect job allowing us to see the beach and in the distance, the two huge mamma turtles busy at work. Marco informed us that there was indeed a big mamma in the process of digging her gigantic nesting hole and we were to wait there until he gave us the signal to come over to him.

A baby hatchling. Photo: World Wildlife Fund
A baby hatchling. Photo: World Wildlife Fund

Marco had also given us specific instructions before we’d left our lodge that night.

“All visitors must know that all of their actions while on the tour can influence the turtle’s behaviour so it is important to follow these rules.”

• Wear black or dark clothes, to avoid disturbing the turtle with reflective colours.
• The use of flashlights, videos or cameras is prohibited. Guides and trackers use a special red flashlight to which the turtles are not sensitive.
• Turtles have fantastic vision and a highly developed sense of smell, it is possible that if anyone wears perfume, smokes or drinks while on the beach, it will disturb the nesting process.
• Only wear an odourless cream insect repellent.

Dressed in black from head to foot, no flashlights, no perfume and no cameras, we watched Marco trot off down the beach following his infrared penlight toward what looked like a big pile of sticks and driftwood.

From July to September is the best time to catch Green Turtles laying their eggs on the dotted beaches around Costa Rica in the National Park Tortuguero -‘The land of The Turtles’. The surrounding beaches are key nesting sites for four species of sea turtle, the Green Turtle being one of them.

As we waited we scanned the shore in hopes of seeing a few more turtles surf into the beach. As Marco had explained, it was extremely important to stay as still and as quiet as possible because Turtles have excellent eyesight and a keen sense of smell. If any soon-to-be mother turtles sensed anything that looked (or smelled) remotely like a threat, they wouldn’t come onto the beach. I was really worried about this possibility – what if we scared a turtle off and she was desperate to lay her eggs. Surely we were interrupting the natural process of things. Marco reassures us that if this did happen, the turtles either come back the next night or if she really has to lay she would just go further up the beach.

So after scaring off at least three turtles, Marco indicated to us that mamma turtle was ready. We walked over slowly toward the sticks and driftwood and saw the most magnificent and breathtaking sight I’d seen in a while.

Mamma turtle was HUGE. Her tail faced the sea, her small head faced the land and her flippers moved slowly back and forth as she continued to dig her self into a hole. After taking in a few minutes of this incredible site, mama turtle started laying, dropping soft white eggs a couple at a time into the deep hole she’d been preparing.

The labour looked intense and took about 20 minutes. Green Turtles lay up to 1000 eggs over six nights during nesting season. Sadly only a handful of those babies make it to the sea alive because of the high risk of predators; dogs, vultures and unfortunately poachers. In an effort to increase the number of turtles that do make it to the sea alive, residents around the nesting areas patrol the beaches watching over the hundreds of babies that hatch daily. They are careful not to pick them up and put them directly in the water. Doing this means the turtle can’t find its way back to the same beach to lay when it’s their turn.

After watching mamma turtle lay her eggs, she used her wide flippers to cover her precious cargo with mounds and mounds of sand, heave herself around inch by inch toward the beach and slowly but surely head back toward the sea, stoping every few metres to catch her breath and haul herself further down the beach.

It was by far one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had the privilege of witnessing.

Visiting turtle nesting areas is a popular activity, especially in Costa Rica where the chances of catching layings and hatchings are high during the nesting months. We organised our turtle experience through Mawamba Lodge, a beautiful eco lodge located on the lakes of the Tortuguero River within the Tortuguero national park. The national park stretches partway along the northern side of the Caribbean coast side of Costa Rica and is made up of a maze of navigable lakes, rivers, canals and channels, only accessible by boat. With over 300 species of birds, amphibian, freshwater fish, three species of monkeys, sloths, crocodiles, tapirs and jaguars, the area is a nature lover’s paradise.

Photo: Belinda Gurd
Photo: Belinda Gurd

Mawamba Lodge is stunning. With modest cabins dotted through the lush green grounds visited frequently by giant iguanas and monkey, the lodge sits on the bank of the Tortuguero canals. We were picked up from the main land in a large open sided riverboat that allowed us to spot a range of wildlife on the one hour-long journey up river to the lodge. We were lucky enough to see all three types of monkeys, a crocodile and a number of different birds.

The turtle watching was just one amazing experience we had over our three-night stay at Mawamba. We went on another two-hour canal tour and were lucky enough to see the very elusive sloth in its natural habitat. The lodge also features it’s own rainforest, butterfly farm and frog enclosure which guests can wander through at their own leisure, or follow one of the lodge guides on a grounds tour, as we did. We were able to learn interesting things about each animal and their behaviours and habits within their natural settings. We saw magnificent butterflies and brightly coloured frogs, all indigenous to the rainforest of Costa Rica.

Photo: Belinda Gurd
Photo: Belinda Gurd


Costa Rica is one of the most diverse countries in terrain, geography and weather. For those who want adventure, relaxation, adrenaline sports, or nature filled experiences Costa Rica has it all. Stay tuned for my next instalment of Costa Rica – Volcanoes and Beaches of Costa Rica.

See more blogs from the The Conscious Traveller here.


About The Conscious Traveller

Belinda Gurd is a freelance writer living between Australia, New York and UK. In the never-ending search for the meaning of life, Belle’s travels have seen her work in a children’s hospital in Cambodia, receive blessings from the monks of Bhutan, trek to Everest Base Camp in search of enlightenment, sit in stillness for a week in Bali and take up Kundalini yoga in New York.

Follow Belinda Gurd on Twitter: @wordsbybelle
Instagram: wordsbybelle