Turtles Released in Esterillos, Costa Rica

On 9th November 2010 MINAE, the ministry responsible for environmental issues in the country, working with the local elementary school released more than 200 baby sea turtles on the beach of Esterillos Oeste.

This was part of a larger release program of more than 2,000 sea turtles from the turtle reserve located at Punta Mala, a few kilometers up the beach from Esterillos Oeste.

It was an awesome experience for the children who were each given rubber gloves for handling the turtles. Many adults turned out for the event as well. It was very special to see in some instances three generations of a family together as the youngest member of the family helped release the tiny creatures.

All two hundred turtles made their way into the water and swam away while children cheered and urged their favorites on as if it was a race.

Although turtle egg harvesting at Ostional, is allowed, in some areas turtle egg poaching is a problem for Costa Rica as well as other countries.

Government and private organizations for years now have been forced to establish turtle reserves and monitor the entire process from when the eggs are first laid by these majestic creatures. Following through until the eggs are hatched and the tiny turtles make the long journey down the beaches to their new home.

The female turtles are the only ones who return to the beaches, and many times they will return to where they were born to lay their eggs. It takes anywhere from 15 to 50 years for a female turtle to reach full reproductive maturity, depending on the species. Males rarely come ashore after they crawl into the ocean for the first time.

The turtle release was just another example of why Esterillos Oeste – just south of Jaco on the Central Pacific coast – is one of the most special beach communities in the entire country.

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