Turtle Egg Rescue

I've always wondered what was so exciting about digging up turtle eggs,,, well I found out today. I saw a HUGE turtle on the beach today laying her eggs. I was drawn to the spot because of all the vultures circling overhead. Of course, I didn't have my camera so I went home, got it, called a friend to help and grabbed a few buckets and gloves.

I have to admit, I did not want to interfere with Mother Nature but I have lived here A-WHILE and I have seen the ping pong sized turtle eggs floating in the river, I've seen dogs digging them up and children throwing them at each other, stay here long enough, you see lots. The old culture was to eat the eggs. I knew I had to step up and do something,,, anything.


Not my turtle pic but this is exactly what the scene looked like and this is a Olive Ridley Turtle.

When I returned, the turtle had gone and so had the vultures. Only four tourist were standing around at the sight and my friend was walking up the beach to help collect the eggs.



We started to dig and it took a bit but we found the spot where she had laid them and it wasn't very deep. Armed with gloves, we carefully placed them on sand beds in the buckets and took them directly to the turtle farm on the south end of Hermosa.





In our excitement, no one thought to count how many. We rescued 72 turtle eggs. They will be well protected here and when they hatch, they will be carefully released to walk to the ocean and begin their own journey back one day to lay their own eggs.
Hopefully in Guanacaste where there are supposedly thousands now laying their eggs. I was told that this turtle missed her mark and ended up on the wrong beach. If you do your research (and I have not), you will find there is so much to this. Like the turtles MUST walk on their own to the shore to be carried away by the tide. It is a slow and drawn out process with them being washed back in many times but this is important to strengthen their new legs for their journey. Every year, they return to the same beach to lay their eggs.......JUST FASCINATING!!!!

It's surprising more tourist don't go out and visit this magical place. It's really something to see!!