Dr. Archie Carr !

It was Dr. Archie Carr that brought the importance of Tortuguero (translated as Region of Turtles) to the rest of the world, largely in part to his book, The Windward Road, in 1956. It was also thanks to his work that the endangerment of the green turtle was discovered, and that the Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC) was founded. This group works to help educate, study, protect, and track the green turtles, and it is now known that Tortuguero is the most important nesting site for this species in the Western Hemisphere. Along with their assistance the government of Costa Rica declared it a National Park in 1970. Nowadays the group also studies the Leatherbacks that arrive to the beach here, along with hawksbill and loggerhead turtles that also nest. Visitors to the research center (located near the village) can find out much more about habitat and even visit the beach during the right times of year to see the turtles. In fact a great part of the CCC's program was to convince the locals of Tortuguero that Eco-tourism would pay off for a lot longer than harvesting the turtles for the market. The green turtle in particular has made a great comeback, as it is thought to have been very close to extinction in 1960.

I can vouch that one of the most amazing sights in nature is the struggle of a great Leatherback turtle to make her way up the beach, with a body created for the ocean, to nest. This magnificent creature, weighing up to 2000 lbs, must spend hours making her way to her chosen spot, digging a deep hole with great effort and stress, then lay and bury her eggs before struggling back to the open ocean. She will never even see her offspring, many of whom may not even survive the dangers just between the nest and the shore. (More can be found on the CCC and nesting dates can be obtained from their website at http://www.cccturtle.org)

19,000 hectares (46,900 acres) of Protected Park !

However, if you happen to visit Tortuguero during the non-nesting season, don't despair. Tortuguero boasts abundant wildlife throughout the vast canals and jungles. In fact 19,000 hectares (46,900 acres) of protected park are now encompased, along with 22 miles of nesting beach, so bring good shoes. Or if you're not a hiker, not important. You can stick with the boats and see miles and miles of wild terrain from the comfort of your own seat.

More than 300 birds are known to live in Tortugero for all or part of the year, and there are also 57 species of amphibians, 111 species of reptiles, and 60 species of mammals. The park itself is a beautiful area with its own unique charm, and I mean very unique! As we wound our way through the canals, dozens of animals could be seen, especially with the help of our guides. In fact entirely to the guides, who could spot a green lizard in the darkest part of the shore at 300 yards (probably even at night!) We were able to see three of the different species of monkeys, and literally dozens of birds. Add to that lizards, snakes, frogs, caiman, and crocodiles, and you have a real menagerie of true, wild animals that would take anyone's breath away.

A huge variety of vegetation !

The park itself is in fact located on an alluvial floodplain, with occasional volcanic hills protruding upwards, and also boasts a huge variety of vegetation. The canopy of some trees can reach over 60 meters above your head. In fact the area has the highest diversity of both animals and vegetation in all Costa Rica. Even in between sitings, just floating along the canals in this tropical paradise, and listening to the sounds emitting from the jungle, puts you in awe of the greatness of this magical place. I want to visit many places, both in Costa Rica and abroad, but I will definitely return to Tortuguero as well.

In fact though, I think the best part of our trip really sunk in as we headed back to San Jose on Sunday. We had the pleasure of travelling with a family from England, including a number of young children, who on the journey home worked with the guide to find just how many species we had encountered. Would you believe SEVENTY-TWO? IN ONE DAY? Not only was the entire experience incredible, much more than any other place I have yet visited in the world, but it is a literal gold mine of wildlife. I can without any hesitation recommend Tortuguero as one of the most amazing places on Earth created by Mother Nature.

© El Residente ARCR Administración S.A. San José, Costa Rica N.B. Like all information on the internet, this article may currently be incorrect or out of date.