Green Sea Turtle Project
Tortuguero, Costa Rica is the most important nesting ground of the green sea turtle in the Western Hemisphere. Although the government of Costa Rica has created a national park in order to protect these nesting grounds, development, tourism, fishing, and other various factors are still pushing the species towards extinction.
In order to protect the green sea turtle from poaching, commercial exploitation, beach destruction and pollution, there is a desperate need for additional local park rangers to patrol the beach and monitor fishing boats, nets and lines, as well as more training opportunities for rangers. And, because conservation efforts always require local support, awareness programs for residents and funding for volunteer aid programs are also needed.
Green Sea Turtle Nesting Habits
During the nesting season, a female sea turtle returns to the same beach time after time, often coming to shore within a few hundred yards of her previous nest. The female turtle will usually wait until dark to begin the nesting process. After night has fallen, she will crawl out of the ocean until she reaches a dry part of the beach. Artificial lighting, noise, or other disturbances can cause the female sea turtle to abort the nesting process and return to the sea. After crawling up the beach, the turtle digs a nest in the sand and lays her eggs (which often number over 100). When she has finished laying, the turtle will cover the eggs with sand, concealing the nest from potential predators. The female turtle then returns to the ocean, never visiting the nest again. When her young hatch, roughly 60 days later, they will be on their own.
