The first leatherback sea turtles of the season arrived recently to nest on the sandy shores of the northwestern province of Guanacaste.
The turtles were spotted at Playa Junquillal, a small beach community just south of Tamarindo, and Playa Grande, a beach inside Las Baulas National Marine Park, just to the north.
The turtles' unusually early arrival – almost one month ahead of schedule, according to biologists, has given conservationists hope of a fruitful season ahead.
The Junquillal nest was found by locals on the beach and then protected by a crew of local beach patrollers, known as the “Baula Boys,” who put a fence around it to prevent local dogs from disturbing it.
The turtle that built the nest is expected to arrive two to three more times at the beach, as most leatherbacks do.
Junquillal is the site of a community project funded by the World Wildlife Fund and directed by Argentine biologist Gabriel Francia that seeks to educate locals on the importance of turtles to both the ecosystem and local tourism.
Francia reports that turtle poaching during the two-year program has dropped from nearly 100% to 15%.
In nearby Playa Grande, five turtles arrived in so many days, according to park director Rodney Piedra. He says the accelerated pace bodes well for surpassing last year's total of just 58 turtles – the lowest return of nesting females since record-keeping began, and perhaps the lowest ever.
“We're hoping for a much greater number of turtles this year, improving our chances for conserving the species,” Piedra said. Leatherback sea turtles in the Pacific Ocean are on the brink of extinction, their numbers having plummeted 90% during the past 20 years.
Both biologists caution that increasing development on local nesting beaches, which leads to lights that disorient baby turtles, is threatening populations, as is mortality at sea and egg poaching |
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