It was not until my third trip to
Costa Rica that I got to Tortuguero
National Park,
located in a remote area on Costa Rica’s eastern Atlantic coast. The park,
covering 47,000 acres, was established in 1970, although regulation to protect
the turtles and control visitors started in 1963 when turtles were nearly
extinct. Trade in turtles has gone on since 1541. Tortugas, in Spanish, means giant sea turtle. Turtles are the main
attraction in the park.
Of the eight species of marine turtles, six
nest in Costa Rica
and four species nest in the park. The green turtle is the most common.
Hawksbill turtles are also found in the park. The Loggerhead is the rarest, and
the giant Leatherback is the most spectacular and largest of all the species.
It can grow up to six feet and weigh 1000 pounds.
Raffia palms line the jungle canals and
lagoons that lie behind beaches. These canals are the main highway, as no
vehicles or paved roads exist in the park. Boats, skiffs, dugout canoes ply the
canals and transport goods and people. Such water crafts are often referred to
as pangas. Many say the lush tropical jungle is similar to the Amazon.
Tortuguero is home to spider, capuchin and
howler monkeys as well as the great green macaw, green iguana, toucan,
three-toed sloth, and the endangered manatee. The area receives 200-inches of
rain a year and is the rainiest part of the country, resulting in a healthy
mosquito population. We were very lucky as far as both rain and bugs were
concerned. Although we were prepared with long sleeves and long pants we had no
need for them and we never did
use any of the bug juice! It was VERY humid and smothering hot though.
The rain forest protects 350 species of birds,
110 specie reptiles, 57 species amphibians as well as butterflies, jaguars,
anteaters, and peccaries. The lowland rain-forest is a true tropical jungle.
While in the park we took three additional
boat rides for nature watching. Our guide checked in with the park rangers each
time before we went exploring various canals. The palm canal (Cano Palma)
totally fascinated me. Palms contain a lot of tannin, and with many dead leaves
on the bottom, the water appears very black and was mirror calm. The
reflections were so incredible that it was hard to determine what was real and what was reflection.
When we did turn up the speed, the boat’s wake was a marked bronze color
instead of white.
It
was common to see monkeys playing in the trees and sometimes teasing us as we
walked along the paths. Iguanas and small lizards were seen often so it was
wise to watch where you stepped. Our cabins were individual, enclosed and you
could see nothing but lush foliage when looking out the screened open-shuttered
‘windows’. Ceiling fans were helpful at night as there was no air
conditioning. Being a naturalist I
thoroughly enjoyed our stay in the park as did the rest of my family. Rain
forests are neat areas, and having stayed in several, I’ll take one every
chance I get.
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