5/16/14 So much has happened since day one! Out of our 3 days on the water we were able to catch 8 turtles, see 3 sloths and make friends with a ton of beach pups. With our free time we got a little adventurous and kayaked from the open ocean down a river and back. … Continue reading As our journey comes to an end by Charlotte Brathwaite
These past few days have shown me even more of the stunning environment all around us in this amazing country! Our last day volunteering was spent counting seagrass to help monitor the habitat as it is an important area providing food for sea turtles and living space for small fish. I loved helping gather data … Continue reading Costa Rica's Beautiful Scenery by Angela Leta
Today we took a hike to a waterfall. It started with a 20 minute bus ride that stopped at a dirt road to steep for our bus to even drive up. This is where we started our hike, then walked through a cow pasture on the side of a mountain. We then proceeded down the … Continue reading Up and Down a Mountain to a Waterfall by Cora Jones
Sea turtles eat seagrass, and to ensure their habitats are healthy, we counted seagrass today. Really, we counted individual blades of grass in the sand and water! We began during low tide in the morning, so it started off easy. However, there were some areas where it was necessary to actually go under the water … Continue reading Blades of Grass and Kayak Paddles by Carly Taft
It has been so interesting to live in a place with such a unique culture! Over the past couple days we have visited the local town of Puerto Jimenez, searched for more turtles, and learned the local art of making dream catchers! Our trip to Puerto Jimenez was a fantastic example of the local culture. … Continue reading The Remarkable Culture of Costa Rica by Angela Leta
What an amazing day, from start to finish. After our host family prepared us the traditional pinto (beans and rice) and scrambled eggs for breakfast, Dr. Melinda Dick gave a lecture about sea turtle physiology. Surprisingly, although I’d never thought I understood physiology before, my “old” education was renewed by her lecture. It is amazing … Continue reading The Wisdom of Sea Turtle Physiology and Costa Rican Culture by Carly Taft
This is such an amazing experience!! Last night a veterinarian from the capitol of Costa Rica, San Jose, came in to spend a few days with us. This evening we had an amazing chat as she did a power point presentation on sea turtle anatomy (these are the things I REALLY wanted to learn on … Continue reading Sea Turtle A&P – New to Me! by Cora Douglas
Today we got to work on 4 more turtles! As soon as we dropped the net we caught a beautiful female Green sea turtle! A little while later we caught giant female Green – she was 100+ cm and weighed at least 350lbs – that was a challenge for us to carry and get to … Continue reading A Jolly Green Giant by Cora Douglas
Today was our second day with the turtles. We went to a beach called Sloth Beach and as you can imagine, there were three-toed sloths! There was actually one in the tree right above where we were standing but we just hadn’t noticed. We all tried to get pictures of him but it was hard … Continue reading We got a hawksbill! by Jessica D’Ambrosio
Today was “turtle day”… and I wish every day was “turtle day”! We dropped the net and it all began! 4 turtles in 5 hours – all female greens, so amazing! They are such majestic, peaceful creatures, yet so strong and courageous. Poor turtles though…there are endless potholes in their graceful road and it’s all … Continue reading I Wish EVERY Day was Turtle Day! by Cora Douglas