12 Miles of Paradise: A Visit to Nesting Sea Turtles on Nicaragua’s Pacific Coast
Jan 3
posted by Dipika Chawla in turtles, ecotourism, Biodiversity, Nicaragua, beach | 0 Comments 
A guest blog post written by Brad Nahill, Executive Director of SEE Turtles
I've spent a fair amount of time hiking in the jungle, but almost never at night and definitely never at this pace. Four of us were moving quickly through the rainforest, hurrying to the sea turtle nesting beach at the end of the trail in the hopes of arriving in time to put a satellite transmitter on a green sea turtle (also known as a black turtle). The rumble of far-off thunder faded into the sound of crashing waves as we crested a hill near the end of the trail.
My journey had started in the city of Managua several days earlier, where I was picked up by Liza Gonzalez. Liza is the Country Director of Paso Pacifico, an innovative conservation organization focused on protecting the Paso del Istmo, an incredibly beautiful 12-mile stretch of land between Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific Ocean, whose coastline is home to critically important sea turtle nesting beaches. I can't imagine a better guide than Liza, who intimately knows the region and its residents. She's held lofty positions in the government (formerly director of the National Protected Areas System), but her passion for spending time in the field and with the people who depend on natural resources was obvious.
On the way to La Flor Wildlife Refuge, located in the southwestern corner of Nicaragua on the Pacific coast, we made a quick stop in Granada, a beautiful colonial town on the edge of Lake Nicaragua. Strolling through the market in front of the dramatic cathedral, I found more hawksbill turtle jewelry for sale than any other place I've been in Latin America. Travelers, please beware of turtle shell jewelry; purchasing these items contributes to the destruction of this endangered species and it is illegal to bring them into the US.
As we headed south, the view from the car gradually changed from open pastureland to lush forests. We passed through San Juan del Sur, a growing tourist destination that is the main stopping point for backpackers in this area. We saw beautiful nature murals on local schools, ate at a restaurant supported by Paso Pacifico, and passed areas benefiting from their reforestation work. The organization's impact is visible almost everywhere you go in this region.
When we arrived at Ostional Beach, I was stunned by the dramatic view. The rolling rocky Pacific coast of Nicaragua stretching to northern Costa Rica spans the entire horizon, giving the impression of a huge bay. After nightfall, the only visible lights were bright stars and the far off resort area of Papagayo, Costa Rica.
Moving north along the coast of the wildlife refuge, we stopped in front of La Flor Beach, one of a handful of beaches in the world that hosts the arribada, a spectacular nesting event of olive ridley sea turtles, during which thousands of females come ashore simultaneously and lay about 100 eggs each. We took a boat into the water, and my years of habitual silence around turtles went right out the window as I let out an excited yell when a small head popped up not far from our boat. The turtle heard me and dived back down into the water, but there were plenty more bobbing around!
That evening, we hiked quickly to Brasilon Beach, hoping to arrive in time to put a satellite transmitter on a nesting green turtle. This beach is one of several turtle nesting beaches along this stretch of coast protected by Paso Pacifico. When we checked in with the rangers, they told us that the female green turtle they had hoped to tag wasn't suitable for a transmitter because her shell was too thin. But before we released her back into the ocean, we collected some data and let her go on her way. The next day, we visited La Flor beach for the second time, where a relatively small arribada of roughly 1,000 turtles had happened just three days earlier. (At its peak, La Flor can host up to 50,000 turtles.) With so many nesting turtles, it's a challenge for the refuge's rangers to protect nests from poachers who sell turtle eggs on the black market.
A short drive took us to a charming new small hotel owned by local residents. The hotel is participating in Paso Pacifico's reforestation program and hosts a nursery for native trees used throughout the region. Nicaragua has been hard hit by deforestation, but Paso Pacifico's award-winning program has helped restore more than 1,000 acres of rainforest. This inspirational project not only recovers wildlife habitat, but also helps to create jobs, absorb carbon in the air, and prevent erosion and flooding.
The idyllic 12-mile stretch of the "Paso del Istmo" is truly unforgettable. Sandy beaches are lined by tropical forests; monkeys, sea turtles, and colorful tropical birds abound. It is a paradise for wildlife, and thus for ecotourists. It is a place worth visiting -- and, more importantly, a place worth protecting. Scientists and nonprofit organizations like Paso Pacifico are working hard to keep endangered animals and their habitats from disappearing, and you can be a part of their efforts. SEE Turtles connects travelers with sea turtle conservation projects, so you can travel to Nicaragua to help conserve these amazing creatures while enjoying one of the world's most beautiful places.
More ways to get involved:
SEE Turtles: Turtle Vacations in Costa Rica
SEE Turtles: Turtle Vacations in Mexico
SEEtheWILD Nicaragua Wildlife Vacations
Bio:
Brad Nahill is a wildlife conservationist, writer, activist, and fundraiser. He is the Director & Co-Founder of SEEtheWILD, the world's first non-profit wildlife conservation travel website. To date, we have generated more than $300,000 for wildlife conservation and local communities and our volunteers have completed more than 1,000 work shifts at sea turtle conservation project. SEEtheWILD is a project of The Ocean Foundation. Follow SEEtheWILD on Facebook or Twitter.
