Turtle nesting

We awoke to a beautiful day!! At last the sunshine is back :)

Breakfast isn't included but can be ordered the night before...we had pancakes, juice & coffee (2,400C).

Making the most of the sunshine, we went to wander around town, however soon retreated back to the shade as it was so hot! Really muggy and no breeze. No pleasing us Brits. We relaxed in the hammocks which are a stone's throw away from the beach.

Lunch was the tastiest coconut ever (500C / $1 - can pay in either currency in CR) plus 2 scoops of ice cream (1,200C). A breeze had picked up so we could actually sit in the sun and we walked back along the beach. Upon our return, the hammocks were full so we sat on our balcony and were shortly joined by mum and baby moggy (daddy moggy came by later briefly). Anna had bought tuna for the skinny mum who devoured it happily and the kitten played with us for most of the afternoon. We later found her sleeping just outside our door on my bag which was out to dry.

We went for dinner at the same place, both having plantain baskets full of beans and salad (and beef for Anna). Then it was time for the main attraction: turtle spotting! ($25).

We were in a group of 10 with our guide Alfonso, who looks like a Caribbean version of Hurley from Lost. The beaches are strictly guarded and managed, nobody can go on without a guide after 6pm. Each group is assigned a time slot, 8-10pm or 10-12pm. Luckily we had the earlier one. So we set off at 7:20pm and walked to section 3 of 5 and waited in the jungle and learnt about turtle nesting. Then we waited some more. It was dripping hot and everyone was melting.

Spotters find the turtles and tourists can only come once the turtle has dug her hole and started laying her eggs when she goes into a sort of trance; before this she might be spooked and return to the sea.

Finally we got the call and walked in a line holding hands in the dark to our turtle. Alfonso had an infra red light but no other lights are allowed. Our green turtle (so called because they have green fat) was half buried under some palm leaves. She was huge! Bigger than they seem underwater. We came up behind her and sat watching as she lay her eggs (up to 150 at a time, up to 6 times in a season). She didn't seem to notice us, we didn't even have to be quiet. We then switched with another group so they could see. She then started to cover her eggs with sand using her back flippers so both groups huddled around. They then take up to an hour to cover and camouflage their spot to confuse birds etc from eating the eggs. She used her front flippers to flick sand behind her - she wasn't a great aim as a lot hit us! It was obviously hard work as she stopped to rest every minute. We left her after a while to finish up so she wouldn't think we were predators.

We sat on the beach watching a storm get closer and closer. It started to rain and we were soon drenched through (we hadn't bought our ponchos as we were told no bright colours; however many people had ignored this). The storm came really close and crazy lightning strikes were hitting the sea right in front of us, burning images into our retinas.

The other group left but we hung around and the turtle soon started shifting and turned around to face us so we could see her head - she looked even bigger! Then she hauled herself slowly back down to the sea leaving huge tire track marks.

She entered the sea and was gone. On our way back off the beach we saw another smaller turtle who had just come up. We walked back through the jungle along the sand paths which had now turned into huge puddles. On our way we saw 2 big bull frogs, a tiny glass frog and then on the concrete path through town I saw a tiny snake - turned out it was a baby boa constrictor!! Sadly cameras aren't allowed on the beach so we don't have any pics, just amazing memories of a very special night!Read more