With the release of 74 green turtles, Chelonia mydas, in Playa Hermosa on Thursday, April 13, the 2022-2023 turtle season came to an end. Throughout the season, as is customary in the Reserva Playa Tortuga (RPT), patrolling efforts were made to search for nests in Playa Tortuga and Playa Hermosa with the essential collaboration of local volunteers and lifeguards from Costa Ballena.
For Olive ridleys, a total of 127 nests were found in Playa Tortuga, 157 in Playa Hermosa, 7 in Dominical and one nest from Playa Ventanas, totaling 291 nests. Only 2 nests from the green sea turtles and 2 hawksbill nests were found in Playa Hermosa this season.
Including all the four beaches, nearly 20,000 turtles were released this season! The year was very successful in terms of the number of Olive ridley nests and releases. Sadly, in the case of the green ones, we had the findings of many dead adult individuals on the beaches of the Osa and the central zone of the South Pacific, probably due to red tides. Possibly, this affected the nesting of this species on our beaches this season – said Cyrielle Mayer, RPT Marine Biologist.
We appreciate both local and international volunteers who supported the work throughout this season. As well as the personnel of the RPT who remained alert and coordinated the necessary actions to carry out a management under scientific criteria, with the important participation and collaboration of the local community.
THANK YOU ALL!! SEE YOU NEXT SEASON!
Reserva Playa Tortuga is a non-profit biological research and education center formed in 2009 by community members (“citizen scientists”) and Costa Rican scientists.