Turtles in Trouble in Costa Rica

Olive Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)

Status : Endangered

The olive ridley has one of the most extraordinary nesting habits in the natural world. Large groups of turtles gather off shore of nesting beaches. Then, all at once, vast numbers of turtles come ashore and nest in what is known as an "arribada". During these arribadas, hundreds to thousands of females come ashore to lay their eggs. At many nesting beaches, the nesting density is so high that previously laid egg clutches are dug up by other females excavating the nest to lay their own eggs.

The word "arribada" literally means "arrival" and is an apt descriptor of one of the great, now rare, phenomena of the world.

These mass laying have allowed in the past for local villagers to harvest the  first wave of  eggs laid, which would have been destroyed by later laying females, in return for providing protection for hatchlings from birds and other predators on their dash for the ocean after emerging from the nest..

But as you can see in these photographs from Cost Rica the egg harvest is more like a 100% of the available eggs rather than the sustainable level of removing the eggs laid within the first day of the arribadas.

Though comparatively wealthy compared to most Latin American countries, by developed-world standards most Costa Ricans are poor (the average income is slightly less than US$3000 per annum). Many rural families still live in simple huts of adobe or wood; the average income in the northern lowlands, for example, is barely one-seventh that in San José.

The standard of living within Costa Rica has been consistently rising due to the amount of people choosing to retire there or buy 2nd holiday homes. This influx of foreign currency has gradually forced the local villagers further below the poverty line, forcing them to take advantage of the bonanza number of eggs available.

Turtle eggs can provide a good income as they are believed to be an aphrodisiac and a replacement for viagra. Turtles in Mexico are a protected species, but that doesn't stop people from killing them for the eggs that they swear are more potent than Viagra. To help put a stop to this practice, Mexico has launched an ad campaigns featuring sexy models advertising that “her man doesn't need turtle eggs, he’s potent naturally”. I don’t know how that is supposed to stop turtle killing if your man isn't potent naturally, but at least it is a start.

Costa Rica has been promoting it's turtle population as part of the growing eco tourism within the county. In recent years Costa Rica has developed one of the world's most successful eco tourism industries and has been praised for its attention to conservation. However, although the small Central American nation began it's eco tourism industry with small scale development and attention to conservation, some environmentalists worry that as profits have grown, environmental protection has become a secondary consideration and could be undermined if the local people harvest all of the available eggs.

Egg removal is not the only problem these turtles have to face, drift nets, long line fishing and predators all take their toll as the Olive Ridley's travel around the Pacific Ocean. Olive Ridley's do not reach sexual maturity until well into their teens, this means there is a buffer of non fertile females within the population which will continue to support the arribadas. But once these females have passed their egg laying days there could be no fertile females left to take their place if egg removal continues at it' present pace.

It is easy to condemn people from half way around the World while not having to live under the same conditions. But if the situation is not addressed soon the Costa Rican's may loss one of their most valuable commodities by their own hand.

If you would like to find out more information then check out the following web sites:

Save the Turtles a non-profit organization devoted to protecting endangered sea turtles in Costa Rica.

Global Crossroad An organisation recruiting volunteers to help protect turtles in Costa Rica.

Carribbean Conservation Corporation is an organisation committed to ensuring the survival of sea turtles within the Wider Caribbean basin and Atlantic through research, education, training, advocacy and protection of the natural habitats upon which they depend.

MCS Adopt a turtle program.