Today June 16th It’s World Sea Turtle Day!
Today is a day to honor and highlight the importance of sea turtles and the many tasks they perform that contribute to the overall health of the ocean. For example, leatherbacks and hawksbill sea turtles help keep jellyfish and sponge populations in check. Green sea turtles maintain seagrass beds that provide a place for the breeding and development of many fish species.
Right now, 6 of the 7 sea turtle species are classified as threatened, endangered, or critically endangered, due largely to human impact in the form of plastic pollution, hunting, bycatch in fishing nets, and climate change. Costa Rica is a sea turtle paradise.
If you’re flexible with your destinations it’s possible to see them nest and/or hatch nearly anytime you plan to visit. Sea Turtles lay eggs on beaches on both the Pacific and Caribbean shores of Costa Rica every month of the year which in turn means hatchlings are emerging somewhere every day. Some species spend most of their lives far out to sea but others are commonly seen by divers and snorkelers around the popular island and reef dive sites, especially during nesting or hatching peaks.
If you’ve always wanted to see turtles plan ahead a little and you should have a good chance when you travel to Costa Rica!
