The Last Resort: Turtle Conservation in Costa Rica

Copyright Biosphere Expeditions

This article was published in the November 2019 issue of MiNDFOOD magazine PDF

In an effort to save critically endangered sea turtles from poachers, new conservation projects turn travellers into ‘citizen scientists’.

Saving sea turtles and their nests is hard work. It’s nightly patrols trudging on soft sand in total darkness, fending off mosquitoes and sand flies, bearing the Caribbean humidity and rain while rubbing shoulders with the shadowy poachers who roam the same beaches looking to sell the eggs on the black market. But the chance to come face-to-face with a leatherback and save its nest from poachers is totally worth it – blisters, bites and all.

There are seven species of sea turtle around the world – and, sadly, most are endangered. The threats to these vulnerable creatures are many and varied. Rising sea levels due to climate change destroy turtle nests, snuffing out a new generation before they have even had a chance to try to survive in a world made difficult by pollution, plastic bags and hunting. But there’s another threat to sea turtles, and especially leatherbacks – the illegal poaching of eggs. After being stolen from the nests, the eggs are sold on the black market, based on the false belief that they’re aphrodisiacs.

To combat this threat and save future generations of leatherbacks, Biosphere Expeditions – a wildlife preservation non-profit organisation – runs a leatherback turtle conservation project along with a team of scientists, research assistants and volunteers from LAST (Latin American Sea Turtles), a turtle conservation association. Their mission is simple: get to the nesting turtles before the poachers do, and help as many eggs hatch as possible.

Life-saving work

Based on a remote research station on Pacuare Beach – in the province of Limón, on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica – this eight-day wildlife conservation project directly supports the amazing work carried out by LAST, saving the lives of turtles every single day by turning regular travellers into ‘citizen scientists’ (amateur or non-professional scientists).

These citizen scientists hail from all around the world: Australia, Great Britain, the USA, Europe and beyond. Despite their different nationalities and ages (from people in their twenties to retirees in their sixties and seventies), what they have in common is a desire to contribute to the preservation of sea turtles in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is a haven for sea turtles. In fact, five of the world’s seven species live in the ocean that extends from the country’s 1,290km of coastline. These waters are well suited to turtles, providing rich habitats for foraging, migration and mating. But sea turtles are just a small fraction of Costa Rica’s incredible biodiversity. Over half a million species (roughly four per cent of the world’s total) are found within its borders, making this Central American country one of the most biodiverse nations in the world. It’s a quality that attracts more than two million tourists every year to its dozens of wildlife refuges, protected areas, and national parks.

Led by resident biologist Fabián Carrasco, LAST has been protecting and researching the endangered and dinosaur-like leatherback sea turtle for years. Each night, between the hours of 7 pm and 4 am, groups of volunteers and citizen scientists patrol sections of the beach in search of a nesting turtle, under the direction of a local guide or research assistant.

“The mission of Biosphere Expeditions is simple: get to the nesting turtles before the poachers do, and help as many eggs hatch as possible. ”

During these nightly strolls, patrol groups share the same stretch of remote Caribbean beach with poachers engaged in their illegal activity – and at times walk within metres of them. Potentially, this state of affairs could lead to conflict. After all, both groups are trying to get to the nesting turtles first, and one group’s gain is the other’s loss. And yet, there’s a strict policy of non-confrontation between poachers and conservationists. If poachers get to a turtle first, they’re left alone, and vice versa. It’s a tug-of-war of sorts, based on a common understanding.

Although it’s easy to shame these poachers for their part in threatening the continuation of a species, many of them depend on the sale of turtle eggs (which they sell for 50 cents to $2 per egg, and which often end up eaten as bar snacks) to support their families and communities. A lot of the poachers have been in the business for decades; and often coming from disadvantaged or criminal backgrounds, they simply do not have any other means to earn a living income.

Golden eggs

It’s hard work spotting a turtle in the dark – even the leatherback, which is the largest sea turtle species on the planet. In complete darkness, bushes look like turtles, logs look like turtles – everything looks like a turtle to the untrained eye.

This is where the experience of a knowledgeable guide (many of whom are ex-poachers) helps. As it turns out, an easier way to spot a leatherback on a dark beach is to search for its tracks. Using their flippers to drag their 500kg bodies onto dry land, they create wide, tractor tyre-like tracks that emerge from the sea in a straight line.

When a 180cm-long female leatherback finds the right place to lay her eggs on the beach, she begins flinging sand away with her 75cm-long back flippers to dig her nest. Once the nest is dug, the giant leatherback goes into a trance-like state in preparation to lay her eggs – and she doesn’t feel anything from this point forward.

Under the instruction of their experienced guide and the glow of a red LED headlamp (turtles can’t really see red, and it’s best for retaining your night vision), the citizen scientists then place a plastic bag under the turtle and collect her clutch (each egg is the size of a billiard ball).

Meanwhile, other citizen scientists measure the animal’s carapace (shell) and the depth of the nest she has dug. They check for scars, injuries and tags as well – and, if a tracking chip hasn’t already been placed, insert one. This information is then recorded into a central database for further analysis.

“Costa Rica is a haven for sea turtles. In fact, five of the world’s seven species live in its waters.”

Clutches of eggs are rescued from poachers most nights – sometimes one nest, sometimes seven, rarely any at all. After the eggs are collected, they’re transported back to a hatchery (which is guarded 24/7 in shifts lasting three hours) and buried back in the sand – to the exact depth and measurements recorded. After 60 to 90 days, the eggs hatch and the young turtles use their limited energy reserves to emerge from their nest and crawl to the open ocean, using the white crests of the waves as their compass. It’s a very risky time for them, as they must avoid being eaten by a host of hungry predators – such as crabs, birds, raccoons and dogs – before reaching the sea.

Even if they do manage to avoid being eaten alive on their crawl to the sea, their fight for survival doesn’t end. In fact, their vulnerability continues for years as they face the wrath of the open sea and their unenviable position in the food chain as smaller animals.

To avoid an untimely death, the growing turtles need to eat as much plankton and as many fish eggs as they can, to grow as quickly as possible. The bigger they are, the fewer predators they’ll face.

Against the odds

It’s a magical moment witnessing an elusive leatherback come to shore to nest her eggs. First of all, the odds of these graceful creatures ever surviving to maturity is stacked against them. According to a recent estimate, only 1/10,000 neonates ever reach maturity (which takes around 15 to 20 years). Forty years ago, the odds were more like 1/1,000.

A sobering statistic that simultaneously highlights just how special each and every one of these leatherbacks spotted on the beach are. These turtles are true survivors, battle-hardened mothers who have bucked the trend and survived against all odds, returning to their natal beach to lay their eggs once every three to five years.

This week-long project isn’t just about patrolling beaches at night and looking for nesting leatherbacks – it’s also a multi-layered and educational experience. Each morning, Carrasco presents lectures on different aspects of sea turtle biology, conservation and ecology. And in the afternoons, citizen scientists participate in a wide range of activities, such as learning how to dig a nest, picking up rubbish on the beach, and going on a boat tour to see local wildlife – sloths, toucans, crocodiles and dozens of species of bird are easily spotted.

The good fight

Despite the best efforts of NGOs such as Biosphere Expeditions and LAST, turtle egg poaching in Costa Rica is still widespread, and on many unpatrolled beaches, 100 per cent of eggs are taken. For example, on the Caribbean beach of Moín, the turtle conservation efforts were abandoned in 2013 when environmentalist Jairo Mora Sandoval was murdered by a group of masked men while on patrol. After a mismanaged trial, the suspects were acquitted. Sandoval was only 26 years old. Protecting sea turtles can be dangerous work.

But thankfully, Costa Rica still has many hard-working, courageous conservationists and volunteers who patrol the country’s lengthy coastline at night to protect its sea turtles. And although highly commendable, the conservation work carried out by Biosphere Expeditions and LAST is far from a rarity. Throughout Costa Rica, a whole host of individuals and organisations work around the clock to protect the nation’s biodiversity. The country’s coastguard also does its part to help deter poachers by patrolling the beaches – in Costa Rica, sea turtles are protected by law.

“There are seven species of sea turtle – and, sadly, most are endangered.”

Citizen scientists play a key role in sea turtle conservation, too. Not only through nightly beach patrols, hatchery duty and data collection, but also through their capacity to communicate this threat to their friends, families and communities back home. Indeed, education and awareness are both crucial tools in the fight for turtle conservation – not just abroad, but in local communities as well, where arguably the most important fight is being fought.

Over the course of the entire week with Biosphere Expeditions, more than 25 clutches of leatherback turtle eggs were saved from poachers. As each clutch averages around 100 eggs, close to 2,500 eggs now have the opportunity to develop into the next generation of leatherbacks – hopefully overturning the decline and bringing this highly vulnerable species back into healthy numbers. Without this work, all those eggs would be on the black market.

There’s an inherent difficulty in studying creatures that spend almost all of their time in the sea – much is still unknown about leatherbacks and sea turtles in general. But thanks to decades of research, and the work carried out by LAST and Biosphere Expeditions, we’re gradually learning more about these majestic creatures, and, more importantly, taking steps to ensure their survival – one patrol at a time.

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Visit Biosphere Expeditions today and do your part to save the turtles.