This afternoon, we planted the mangroves.

We had to wait until it was low tide which was between 2 and 6.  We went out at about 3:00 and took all the supplies to the planting area.  We did have to cross a small area of water in order to get to the mangrove planting site.

Once we got all the mangroves and the supplies to the planting site, we had to work quickly to beat the tide and the rain.  We grouped the mangroves into threes and lined them up so that they could be easily recorded.  Holes were dug into the muddy ground, which was actually somewhat hard because of all the rocks that were embedded in the mud.  After the holes were dug deep enough, some topsoil, (more like top mud) was deposited into the bottom of the hole.  The mangroves were then planted and the hole was filled in.  The groups of mangroves were tied to a bamboo pole to help keep them in place.

It did not take long to plant all the mangroves, and it was fun to get muddy and messy, but we were not done yet, we still had to measure and count the leaves on each mangrove planted and record it so that the growing process could be monitored.  When we were finally done, we were all caked in mud and had dirt and mud under out nails for a few days. The mangroves are a very important part of the marine ecosystem as they provide food, shelter,and a safe place for juvenile marine life.

The third day of the program, we all went out on the boats to try to catch some sea turtles.  We were all excited, because that was the main reason we were there.  We left the beach at 8:00 am and then took a short boat ride to a nearby beach to catch the turtles.  The first thing we did was put the turtle nets in the water before going to shore.  Two nets were placed in the water and attached together to make a 180 meter long net.

Once the nets were in position and untangled, everyone headed to the shore to wait and the boats went back to the nets to watch for turtles. Some of us decided to go on a walk in search of sloths and some stayed on the shore.

About 10 minutes later, the boats came rushing back to shore to pick us up and retrieve the turtle that has swam into the net.  We were all excited because we had just caught our first turtle of the trip in less than 10 minutes! The turtle was untangled from the net and the research assistants pulled him into the boat and brought him to shore.

He was a hawksbill turtle with a tracker attached to his carapace. The tracker was no longer sending out signals, so it was decided that it should be removed.

Blood and tissue samples were taken from the turtle, and the veterinarian preformed a gastric lavage, to see what he had been eating.  After that, the turtle was weighed and measured and the tracker was cut off to be sent in for repairs. The poor turtle was finally released back into the ocean.

We did not catch another turtle that day, but we were able to see dolphins, and we did find the sloth we were looking for!  I was so excited that we were able to catch a turtle, and I was amazed about how beautiful they are up close!