Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Nesting Sites - Costa Rica

Four species of sea turtles nest in Costa Rica with, green turtles, hawksbills and leatherbacks being the most common. A regionally significant nesting colony of green turtles is located along the northern coast at Tortuguero Beach where, in 2005, over 50,000 crawls were recorded. A regionally significant nesting colony of leatherbacks is located along the southern coast at Gandoca, where 500-1000 crawls are recorded annually. Sea turtles are fully protected by law. A highly regulated take of sea turtle eggs is permitted at Playa Ostional, on the Pacific coast.

For more information see:
Dow, Wendy, Karen Eckert, Michael Palmer and Philip Kramer. 2007. An Atlas of Sea Turtle Nesting Habitat for the Wider Caribbean Region. The Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network and The Nature Conservancy. WIDECAST Technical Report No. 6. Beaufort, North Carolina. 267 pages, plus electronic Appendices. (Costa Rica excerpt).