subject: Costa Rica Turtle Tours [print this page] Costa Rica's Tortuguero National Park is a 44,000-acre refuge known as the largest nesting site for the Green Sea Turtle in the Western Hemisphere. Even if you aren't a wildlife lover, watching the turtles lay their eggs is an interesting experience. The females come to the beach after dark, so travelers wanting to catch a glimpse of one only have the moon and specially designed flashlights to light their way along the beach. Once you find one of these 700-pound, and 4-foot long creatures you can actually watch them dig a hole and lay 100 to 200 eggs the size of golf balls, before covering them with sand and retreating back to the sea.
One of the most amazing things about these turtles is that they return to the same beach where they hatched themselves to lay their eggs. Some females swim over 1500 miles from their feeding grounds to reach these beaches. This makes conservation of these hatching areas extremely important for the future of these turtles.
After the female lays her eggs, 45 to 75 days later, the hatchlings break out of their shell and begin the most dangerous period of their lives - the run towards the ocean. This can be a bit of a bittersweet experience as most of the turtles don't make it to the sea and are preyed upon by crabs and birds.
Tortuguero National Park also has many other activities to keep travelers busy. There is a system of beautiful wide canals that lead through the lush, green areas of the park, which makes a boat tour an ideal way to see the various ecosystems. On a boat tour, there are many opportunities for hikes through the forest to waterfalls or to see different plant and animal species. Some of the wildlife you may see includes Manatee, monkeys, crocodiles, tropical frogs, and various species of tropical birds. Unless you are an expert however, you should hire a wildlife guide to accompany you as they are specially trained to spot wildlife and you will see much more of it with their expertise.
Costa Rica Turtle Tours
By: Challen Clarke
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