Turtle Watching
Five
of the seven species of sea turtles that cruise the world's oceans come to
Costa Rica to lay their eggs. From July to October each year, hordes of Green
sea turtles flood the Caribbean coast near Tortuguero National Park. Other
endangered species are known to inhabit the area when the green sea turtle
is away. These include the loggerhead, the hawksbill, and the world's largest
reptile, the giant leather-back. The latter, which can weigh as much a ton
and grow to about ten feet long, can be found in greater numbers on the Pacific
coast. From October to April, hundreds of leatherbacks come ashore at Playa
Grande in Nicoya.
