Sea Turtles in Tortuguero

Tortuguero is one of the most famous national parks in Costa Rica for its great natural beauty and turtle nesting; it has the third most important beach worldwide for nesting this species.

Did you know that there are 7 species of sea turtles in the world? In Costa Rica, 4 of them nest, and in Tortuguero National Park: Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coricea), La Cabezona (Caretta caretta), the Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricate), and the most popular in Tortuguero is the Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas).

The name of the green turtle is due to the green color of its fat and not to the color of its shell. The average weight of this adult turtle ranges from 75 to 200 kg, its fins can be up to one meter long, some have traveled up to 2,600 km to reach their spawning place and generally return to spawn at the same place where they were born.

Usually, the female mates every two to four years, after mating in the water she moves to the beach and once she has found the right place for nesting, she digs a hole in the sand with her hind flippers and lays the eggs; then covers the nest with the sand and returns to the sea.

After 45 to 75 days, the baby turtles hatch and head towards the sea; many do not survive because on this journey they are caught by crabs, herons, or raccoons; which are its main predators. A turtle takes 30 years to become an adult, and statistics indicate that out of every 1000 turtles, only one survives to become an adult. It is known that they reach ages of up to 80 years.

It is estimated that more than 100,000 turtles come from the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean per season. Tortuguero, a natural paradise!

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