Is it true that Turtle Eggs…?

Author: Ethan
Location: Tortuguero
After a wake up call of 8am in the morning, followed by a short quick breakfast at 8:30, we were on our way to Tortuguero. Following a short bus ride to the riverboats, we all boarded a small blue boat and were on our way. The boat ride was supposed to take four hours, but by the amusement of all the sights and sounds of nature, along with the dazzling creatures that are native to the waterways, the trip did not actually take that long. The name Tortuguero literally translates into LAND OF THE TURTLE. This translation comes from the season of the year that several species of turtle come to lay their eggs on the shore in the dark of night, cover the eggs up with sand, and promptly return to their homes on the bottom of the ocean floor. Now, for those who wish to know, if the sand is colder than a certain temperature, all the eggs will have male embryos, and if the sand is warmer than a certain temperature, all eggs will carry female embryos. With that said, we arrived in Tortuguero in the middle of the day, and after getting settled into our respectable insect-infested rooms (Rainforest, HELLO). After some shopping after a light dinner, we went back to our rooms to change for the turtle sightseeing. Actually, I would call it walking in the dark and hope you don't step on something smaller than you are, that is squirming towards the ocean. Ignore the sarcasm, it's just how I work. We all enjoyed it. Walking around the beach on what appeared to be some bleak coast that wouldn't end, we saw three sea turtles. For what seemed like hours, we, along with several other groups of tourists, saw these turtles bury, then hide, then bury another hole to divert attention from the actually resting place from predators of the eggs. Then slowly, arduously, arm stroke after arm stroke, these beautiful, magnificent creatures that have been on this planet for more than 225 million years make their way back to the gentle flowing sea to go on with their periodic lives. Until next time, AWKWARD TURTLE.
Flickr Photos from Today
Flickr Photos from this Voyage