Nesting Turtles
There’s no doubt that Costa Rica is one of the best places in the world to enjoy the magic of witnessing turtles landing on the beaches to nest. Five species of turtle come to nest on the beaches of Costa Rica, both on the Pacific and Caribbean coast. Turtles arrive in their thousands, spanning different regions of the country and all 12 months of the year, all in carefully protected habitats. Nesting times depends on the breed of turtle and the location, so you need to decide on which site you are visiting before you decide on when to go.
One of the most popular sites to see turtles is in the Tortuguero National Park. Tortuguero is unique, in that most experience revolve exclusively around water. It’s known for its vast numbers of green sea turtles, there’s also come chance of seeing leatherbacks, loggerhead, perhaps even a Hawkesbill. Though green turtles nest here from March to October, July to September is usually the optimum period. Some turtles can be spotted during the day, but the vast majority will arrive under the cover of darkness, so it’s best to book yourself onto a night tour. Green turtles are rare.
The Corcovado National Park on the Osu Peninsula is also a great spot. You can enjoy a variety of turtle watching experiences, both in the day and at night. There are educational tours run from October to January. As well as the Olive Ridley and Pacific Green, there are also hawkesbill and leatherback turtles and green turtles here.
If you want to swim with turtles, then take a boat excursion out to Cano Island, next to the osu peninsula. This tiny island is a biological reserve, surrounded by coral and rich in marine life. You can take a boat to go snorkelling and scuba diving. It’s fairly common to see turtles in the waters surrounding the island, as well as other marine life such as white tipped reef sharks, rays, and an array of tropical fish.
