| Marine turtles are fascinating creatures. Scientific | | | | place. A trained naturalist guide led each small |
| evidence supports the theory that marine turtles | | | | group, carrying only a flashlight that emitted a low |
| return to the beach where they were hatched; | | | | beam red light. |
| some species are known to travel thousand of | | | | What a memorable night it was! As all artificial |
| miles at sea to reach their nesting site.. The | | | | lights are turned off at night during the nesting |
| precise mechanism of how these creatures | | | | season so as not to deter the egg-laying females, |
| navigate to their nesting grounds is still unknown | | | | the moon and the stars provided the only |
| although many biologists have speculated that the | | | | illumination available. The sky was like one big |
| turtles use the stars and the ocean currents to | | | | amphitheatre as one could see many different |
| guide them. | | | | constellations of stars and galaxies. It was |
| When I was in Costa Rica a number of years | | | | absolutely amazing. The tour guide who was |
| ago, I traveled to Playa Grande Beach, near the | | | | carrying a walkie-talkie, got a tip from an |
| popular Pacific Coast resort of Tamarindo, to | | | | associate of a giant leatherback sighting. As we |
| witness the nesting behavior of the Giant | | | | carefully approached, we could hear the grunting |
| leatherback turtle. The nesting season for the | | | | and hissing of the female leatherback. Finally, we |
| Giant Leatherback turtle is from October-April at | | | | got close to observe the giant turtle; she had a |
| selected sites along Costa Rica's Pacific Coast and | | | | dug itself a big hole in the sand and was writhing |
| from February-July along the Caribbean Coast. | | | | in labor as she laid her clutch of eggs. After the |
| Female turtles mate every 3-4 years, returning to | | | | eggs were laid, she used her flippers to carefully |
| the same beach where they were hatched to lay | | | | cover them with sand to protect them from the |
| their eggs. | | | | elements and potential predators. Watching this |
| About 40 tourists showed up at about 12 | | | | ancient creature, which predates the dinosaurs, |
| midnight at the designated meeting point for the | | | | squirm and writhe in pain as she was in labor, in a |
| turtle watching tour, splitting up into smaller | | | | way, reminded me of a human mother giving |
| groups of 6-8 people. We hung around for about | | | | birth. |
| 2 hours until about 2:00AM before commencing | | | | It was definitely a night to remember, not only |
| our walk along the nesting beach. Apparently we | | | | for watching this giant turtle perpetuate her |
| had to wait for the right conditions to fall into | | | | species but also for the magnificent celestial show. |