Here in Costa Rica we are very lucky to be a nesting ground for different types of sea turtles. We have collected some sea turtle information for your enjoyment.

PACIFIC GREEN (BLACK) TURTLE or "NEGRA" (Chelonia Mydas) or (Chelonia agassizii - some scientist refer to as the black turtle)

The green turtle is a large animal whose carapace may reach a length of four and a half feet and weigh 750 lbs. Although found in all the oceans, the green turtles that make their home along the Pacific coast of the Americas between California and all the way to Chile have a black shell rather than the green shell that all others of this species have. This unique phoneme is in dispute within the scientific community. The question is if the sea turtles with the black shells should be classified as another spices of sea turtles or should they continue to be classified with the green turtle. All the sea turtles share the unfortunate reality that the expansion of human populations along the coasts of the Americas have decimated the sea turtle colonies to a point of disappearance.

The reasons for this threat to the sea turtle populations are many, but for the green turtle, besides the loss of habitat, is the fact that the green turtle and the Tortuga Negra are sought after for the green muscles and fat which is said to be delicious for turtle soup as well as turtle steaks.

Herein lies the root of the problem and that is that the green turtle have been considered for centuries as a wonderful food supply. They are easy to catch when they come to the beach to lay their eggs. All you need to do is turn them over until it is day light so you could tie them to Bosa wood logs and float them to ships waiting in the harbors for exportation to the big city markets. Sea turtles can live for months with out food, they can be eaten fresh 2 months later in fine New York City 5 star restaurants. Making belts, shoes, and creams from the skin and fat of the turtle is also a very lucrative business.

For the quality of its meat, this species has been preferred throughout its distribution range. It has been heavily exploited for centuries and this still is done today. This has resulted in a marked decrease in the size of populations worldwide. Due to the extreme measures of protection, it may be said that the effort has stopped the population decline and at this moment the population appears stable.

The green turtle is known locally as "Tortuga Negra, Prieta or Tora", it is smaller than the green Atlantic specimen. The Black Sea Turtles' range is from Baja California, Mexico, south to Peru and west to the Galapagos Islands.

The Tortuga Negra species lays fewer eggs, have a different shell shape, and size. This black sea turtle feeds on sea grasses, mangrove roots and invertebrates found in the sea water. Little is known of this species in Costa Rica, but 15 beaches have been identified as nesting sites. The best time to see the nesting of all types of sea turtles on our beach is from September until mid December.

When nesting (solitary only), the female tends towards the top of the sand along the beach and prefers creating a nest in the vegetation. Because she is easily disturbed by the slightest noise or light, it is necessary to exercise extreme caution while viewing so not to affect this reproductive behavior.

There is not enough information to determine the state of the sea turtle population in Costa Rica, but along the beach in front of the Black Turtle Lodge, a nightly census of turtle nests and hatchlings was done by the Costa Rican Ministry for the Protection of the Natural Resources during the 2005 turtle nesting season.

A simple thing like the taking of eggs can destroy populations and the affect of this may not be seen for many years, because the adults die eventually and the juveniles become adults, then there are no baby turtles replacing the juveniles. Eventually the number of nesting females diminishes. Today, there are so few hatchlings produced, and so few survive to adulthood that the population remains low. Actions of man on sea turtles sometimes can take up to 40-50 years to show up. Let's hope that the laws, conservation and protection efforts that are now in place will stop the exploitation of these incredible animals. Costa Rica is a leader world wide in its efforts to protect all the animals as well as the lands and waters these animals need to survive. Time will only tell if these efforts and increased efforts by other countries will stem the tide of species decimation.