You and your help are crucial for the future of the oceans and sea turtles. Your time and hands make the difference to many baby turtles, to nesting turtle mothers and to incredible and productive tropical coastal ecosystems. Also your contribution supports the economy of the local communities we are working with.
The project is located a remote Caribbean beach in Costa Rica, 2km north of the Pacuare river mouth. It covers 7.1 km of coastline of a black sand barrier, surrounded by tropical rain forest and several coastal lagoons and palm swamp forests. The beach is part of the 50 km stretch between Tortuguero National Park (famous for its sea turtles) on the north Caribbean coast and the Port of Limón city. Fresh water canals and the tropical vegetation in Pacuare provide habitat for an abundant quantity of birds, mammals as monkeys, tamanduas, racoons, coati, sloths, but also for manatees and fresh water dolphins, turtles, crocodiles and iguanas.
The area is not only unique in every way, but is also a famous nesting site for many Leatherback, Hawksbill and Green sea turtles that come ashore to lay their eggs. Illegal egg poaching and hunt for sea turtles, pollution and beach erosion are threatening the survival of the already critically endangered Sea Turtles in Pacuare. This has caused an alarming decline in turtles being born on this beach. In particular the 7.1 km covered by the project, for it has no legal protection whatsoever. Volunteers play a very important role in changing the vanishing of the turtles.