The Lesson of the Sea Turtle

With so little internet time and an abundance of adventures in the last few weeks, a backlog of blogs has been building up and now it is time to clean up shop. We left off last with the beginning of our Pacuare Reserve stay. The first couple of days there were action ( and bug and snake) packed as you read. The rest of our stay at the reserve however was an interesting time spent reflecting on our trip and the future, doing some volunteer work, working out and trying to combat the heat and bugs. 

The Pacuare Reserve is quite isolated as you could tell from my previous blog describing the trek it took to get there! We had no electricity and therefore no internet. The lack of electricity was not really a big deal, in fact it felt like summer camp to me even though I have never been. Reading by candlelight at night, Katie in the bunk next to me, giggling and talking. What we slowly realized is that without electricity and internet we had nothing to distract us from out own thoughts. The first few days were quickly filled with many conversations about the future and our trip. It was the first time Katie and I had really slowed down since beginning our adventures and I think we were feeling a little overwhelmed at all the possibilities that lay before us. The circular motion of conversation soon had our heads spinning and the unknown future seemed even more daunting than before. What do we want to go back to school for? When? Where? When and where am I going to find a husband or someone to share my life with? What is the next stop on our Costa Rican Adventure? What is for dinner?

The View from our Pacuare Dining Room

Gladly, we actually never had to worry about our meals which was a real treat for us since we had been traveling with all our luggage and planning meals, including how and when to cook them and how to carry the ingredients had become quite the chore. Countless hours were spent standing in the middle of the grocery store aisle discussing what is not only the most economical but also the easiest for transportation. The meals at Pacuare were set on a schedule everyday and we were so relieved to not have to worry for the whole week about what we were going to eat and how we were going to cook it. We got three hot meals a day and it became Katie's mission to eat as much as possible at each meal in an effort to maintain her lovely figure, while I on the other hand tried some portion control tactics in hopes of a downsize. The meals were good, eggs or pancakes for breakfast, and pasta or a meat dish with some veggies offered for lunch and dinner traditional Tico style foods. Oh and don’t worry there were still rice and beans with every meal and they even had Lizano Salsa! 

We quickly fell into a nice routine since our meal times were set and our week began to take off. The main point of us being at the Reserve was to volunteer and help with the nesting of sea turtles, unfortunately we made it there in their last week and the season was coming to an end. There were still some Green Sea Turtles nesting and we were determined to see them! The turtles come up onto the beach at night and dig big holes where the beach meets the jungle and lay their eggs before heading back out to sea. Each night at 9pm there was a patrol with a couple of the research assistants to scan the beach for any turtle activity. Should there be any, we were to document it and possibly assist the turtle in creating a nest more likely to produce healthy baby turtles by covering it better or hiding it from poachers. Katie and I were excited at the prospect of seeing the turtles and couldn’t wait for our first patrol! However we soon realized that walking the 11 kilometers of beach (nearly 7 miles) from the South station (where we were staying) to the North station (which had been closed since the season was almost over) and then back was really really tiring and difficult especially without the excitement of seeing a turtle to keep your spirits up and moving. Our first three patrols were uneventful and we soon began to refer to the Reserve as Costa Rican boot camp. Up early every morning with the sun and monkeys howling, meals scheduled, our own workout plan of Beginning Pilates supplementing our nightly walks, diligently applying sunscreen and insect repellent every 4 hours to maintain full protection against the tropical elements, and fitting in some volunteer work during the days all added up to our own little Costa Rican Tropical Boot Camp! 

On our fourth night we dragged our weary bodies out of bed, dressed defensively against the mosquitoes and set out for another patrol. This time we were rewarded for our hard work by seeing a Green Sea Turtle at the top of the beach finishing up her nest! She was so beautiful and it was really magical to see such a large creature in the middle of her own reproductive ritual. The moon was shining and the gentle waves took her back out to sea and just like that she was gone. The tracks up to her nesting spot were the only evidence of this awesome event and we quickly covered them as best we could to help protect the newly laid eggs from anything that may harm it. 

The next day we headed out with the head research assistant Katharine who we had become friendly with over the last few days to excavate a Green Sea Turtle nest that should have recently hatched. There are regularly scheduled excavations of the nests laid on the reserves beach in order to help keep track of the turtles nest success and population. While these excavations can be sad because often there are eggs that have not made it and contain turtles in various stages of development, they are also interesting and we were ready to learn more about the turtle we were lucky to spot the night before. I helped Katharine take inventory of the various stages of development that the eggs were in at the first nest. At the second nest we were met with a great surprise. As Katharine unearths the nest she is met with a baby green turtle ready to head out to sea. We ended up finding about 7 babies coming out of the nest. I couldn’t believe how tiny and perfect these little baby turtles were. We watched as they got acquainted with their surroundings, figured out which way to the sea and began their journey across the sand to begin their lives as sea turtles. As they struggled over driftwood towards the sea I was overwhelmed with how large the world is and how fleeting life can be. Here are these small creatures heading out into the great unknown with no fear just the shells on their backs and the light of the ocean guiding them. Such a beautiful moment celebrating the beginning of new lives. A storm rolled in on the walk back to our bunk and we happily got totally soaked. 

Katie with a baby green sea turtle! 

Baby turtles orienting themselves and beginning their hike to the ocean

Throughout our days at the reserve we had various volunteer projects that we completed, mostly help cleaning and setting up for the end of season party that was scheduled for the day after we left the reserve. We wanted to stay and enjoy the festivities but it was only for those who had been involved all season, and although our week had seemed quite long and rigorous, it did not qualify us for a party invite. It was still nice helping out with the preparations and doing out part. My favorite project however was collecting cute little arbolitos (baby trees) from the beach and transplanting them near the edge of the reserves cabin areas to help with erosion. I really enjoyed getting my hands dirty and planting trees always feels good. We even sang as we worked ensuring happy growth for the trees we planted.

Overall our stay at the reserve was a time for reflection, for bug bites, for enjoying the simple things, for giving back, and for eating. It was a time we won’t soon forget and have even considered applying as research assistants for the upcoming season. We still aren’t sure what our futures hold but we look forward to what’s ahead of us with hope and excitement, just like the baby turtles entering the sea.