A Privilege to Watch

I may have complained about Army Ants (with every right to), but Friday´s activities more than made up for it. I had the privilege of watching baby Olive Ridley turtles hatch out of their eggs on Ostinal Beach in Nosara (one of the only two beaches in Costa Rica this species uses) and then make their way to the shore in the cutest possible way. I also had the opportunity to see a mama turtle finish hiding her nest of eggs she just laid on the same beach. It was incredible!

We left the house at 4:30am on Friday morning to get to Ostinal beach before sunrise. It wasn't as difficult as it might seem to get up this early, as we've been waking up naturally between 6 and 7 everyday at the latest. Our two-car caravan transported eight of us down rocky dirt roads in the dark and across four streams, one of which went above our headlights, to get to the beach. The rainy season is just ending, so those same streams will be passable by regular cars in another month or so, but thankfully we had 4WD and drivers who knew what they were doing!

As we arrived at the beach, the sun was just starting to rise. At first, all I could make out were sporadic white ping pong ball turtle eggs, either already hatched shells or prematurely exposed (and likely to be a treat for a nearby vulture). For a second, we thought we missed the event, but as we looked closer on the black sand, we saw movement! Baby turtles were on their way to the ocean, each no bigger than my compact digital camera in full length. Some of them were possibly half that size.

Being very careful where we stepped, we started to look for the holes in the sand they were crawling out of. Locating one, we huddled around, watching the little guys clambor over each other to get out of the nest and onto the sand. They intuitively started to head towards the water, waddling along the sand in at a purposeful but measured pace.

There was also a natural sand edge about 3 feet high they had to jump off to reach the lower sand level and continue towards the water. They dove off with no hesitation, usually falling on their backs. With a bit of squirming, they could right themselves and carry on towards the water. I will admit that I smoothed out the sand for them in one section, because I felt guilty for accidently creating an obstacle course when I knocked some sand off the cliff after clumsily jumping down to the lower level. Once near the water´s edge, they had to wait for a large enough wave to bring the water in close enough for them to start to swim. They instantly knew what to do and started flapping their little fins wildly. It was amazing to watch.

I got several great photos (posted) and videos (some posted) but mostly I just enjoyed watching the little turtles begin their lives, knowing that most of them won´t make it very long once in the ocean. I was very tempted to pick one up, but I refrained, wanting to respect the fact that I am the one invading their space, not the other way around. Our group of 8 were the only bystanders on the beach that morning, with the exception of two Ticas who are there to protect them.

I feel that I can´t really do the experience justice as I hurriedly type this at an Internet Cafe, charged by the minute for my ramblings. But to move on, the day wasn´t over yet. We also went snorkling at a different beach (I lay out on the beach), and in the afternoon we hiked up to a beautiful waterfall. We dove into the first pool and then realised we could climb higher to the upper pools. I wasn´t able to bring my camera with me, but I do have some good shots from the lowest level. The water was warm, I wasn´t scared, and it was a great ending to a fantastic day.

Rachel and I cooked for her aunt and uncle on Friday night (gnocchi with salad), and today my main activity was going to yoga for the third time this week. I leave Nosara tomorrow and even though I know I will stay on the Nicoya Peninsula for a few days, I have no immediate plans or destinations. I should work on that....