In the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, just across the water from Tamarindo, to witness the arrival of one of the oldest creatures on this planet: a giant oceanic reptile known as the leatherback turtle. They have been coming to these coasts long before surfers discovered the waves here. In fact, they were coming long before surfers lost their tails and climbed clown out of the trees, along with the test of the human race.
In the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, just across the water from Tamarindo, to witness the arrival of one of the oldest creatures on this planet: a giant oceanic reptile known as the leatherback turtle. They have been coming to these coasts long before surfers discovered the waves here. In fact, they were coming long before surfers lost their tails and climbed clown out of the trees, along with the test of the human race.
For millions of years, leatherbacks and humans were strangers, bus tonight; the very ancient will come face to face with the very young a meeting that is driving them to extinction. She emerges from the sea under cover of darkness, and slowly crawls along the sand of Las Baulas National Park, the most important nesting beach on the Pacific.
She is aptly named, for unlike other turtles, these animals have no shell. Instead, a black leathery shield tests upon their backs. Within an hour she has dug herself a massive hole into which she lays her eggs. Suddenly, a crowd of people surround her, shining red lights over her body. They work in silence gathering up the seventy or so eggs into plastic bags. Only after the last is taken do the people slink off into the darkness clutching their prize. Each egg is worth a dollar or more on the illegal market, mistakenly considered aphrodisiacs by people with faulty equipment.
It's a false claim, prove to be nonsense, especially these days when Viagra is so readily available.
I follow the gang to see what they will do next while the turtle refills her pit and returns to the inky black sea, unaware that her progeny have been stolen from under her nose. Sadly, this is a scene that repeats every night wherever turtles are found. But thankfully, this is no band of poachers. They are a team of scientists, eco-volunteers, tourists, local guides and park rangers who take the eggs in order to protect them. Volunteers, recruited by the non-profit Earthwatch organization, come from as far away as Borneo, Colombia, Japan and the United States to join a resident science team dedicated to helping the leatherback turtle.
Pilar Santidrian from Spain studied turtles at the University of Wales before coming to Costa Rica. Further up on the beach, she digs a new pit in the sand with hole from volunteers and Dr. Robert George. Together they carefully place the eggs into the new human-made nest.
"The eggs are relocated into this hatchery," Dr. George, marine veterinaries from Virginia, tells me. "Here they are guarded against poachers and stray dogs." Out on the beach, high tides can inundate nests, drowning the developing turtles inside. So every year George, along with six other scientists, donates his time to head up this thirteen-year-old project.
"There are not nearly as many turtles as there used to be," says Pilar, "so we must give these little uses every chance they can get." She points down to the neatly spaced rows of sets by our feet; under each is a nest of developing eggs. Measuring up to three meters (almost 10 feet) from head to rail, leatherbacks are the biggest of all marine turtles. "They get this big eating jellyfish," Dr. George tells me, "which is incredible, because they are of little nutritional value." He then goes on to explain that many jellyfish have algae growing in their tissues.
It is these plants that are the leatherbacks' fuel. And to get to them they sometimes have to dive as deep as 600 meters (almost 2,000 feet) pretty impressive for an animal that needs to come to the surface to breathe." Nearly all of the local Costa Ricans in the group of 15 on the beach were once poachers, but most are now tourist guides, while others have become artists, sculpting turtle-shaped jewelry to sell to foreign visitors and project volunteers. "I think that now most people realize a better living can be made by protecting the turtles than from killing them or selling their eggs," Pilar informs me.
"Thousands of tourists come each year and rangers patrol the beach to make sure that the turtles are not bothered in any way."Strict rules have been put in place by the government," I am told by a uniformed guard. "No more than 15 people are allowed around a turtle; flash photography is not permitted and all flashlights must have red filters on them." Turtles are unable to see the color red, so using filters reduces disturbance. Also, beach side hotel development has been halted in order to improve protection.
"Some lodges shine their lights directly onto the beach," reports Dr. George, "and this frightens the turtles away." Despite 13 years of effort from dedicated scientists, local villagers and volunteers, the turtles are still decreasing in numbers. "When I first came here in 1988, we had 1,367 turtles come ashore. Last year saw only 68. We hope for a better count next year, but I'm not optimistic." Although the beach has become almost 100% safe, a new threat has arrived out at sea: foreign fishing fleets patrolling the oceans. "They throw out hooked lines baited with glowing lamps, which attract the big fish. Unfortunately, they also attract the leatherback turtles, who mistake the lures for jellyfish."
Worse than the long lines are the shrimp nets those catch and drown thousands of turtles every year. In 1980, the Pacific population of leatherbacks was estimated to be 91,000; by the year 2002, this figure had dropped to a mere 1,500 individuals. Some believe that leatherbacks are the "living dead" still living, but in such small numbers that a population recovery may well be impossible. And it is not just the turtles themselves who are suffering. With the disappearance of these animals, the local tourism economy will collapse.
Guides, rangers, and local business owners will all lose their income. But Dr. George and thc rest of the team prefer to look on the bright side. "'There is still a chance that the animals will recover with our hole," he says, "and until they stop coming, we will continue to protect the beaches, lobby the government to enforce fishing regulations, and teach people that the turtles are magnificent creatures deserving our respect and commitment to prevent them from disappearing forever." Guided tours are conducted from Tamarindo ever night during nesting season. It is not permitted to go into Playa Grande at nighttime unsupervised. If you wish to find out more about the Earthwatch leatherback turtle project, or sign up to become a volunteer.
Ecotourism and Nature 
