The
small village of Tortuguero (translated as "Region
of Turtles") lies on the northeastern Caribbean coast
of Costa Rica, approximately 50 miles north of the principal
Port
of Limon. the village is comprised of a variety of cultures:
Hispanic, Miskito Indian (Nicaragua), and Afro-Caribbean. Both
Spanish and Creole English are spoken. The region surrounding
Tortuguero is called the Tortuguero Plain, which is a vast
low lying area of little topographic relief still covered by
a large
expanse of tropical rainforest. Map of the Tortuguero Region
Tortuguero beach is the most important nesting site of the
endangered green turtle in the Western Hemishpere. Giant
leatherback, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles also nest
here. The green turtle population is believed to have come
perilously close to extinction in the 1960s when nearly every
female turtle arriving to nest in Tortuguero was taken for
the export market for turtle soup. CCC was established in
1959 specifically to study and protect Caribbean green turtles.
Working closely with the Costa Rican government, CCC helped
establish Tortuguero National Park in 1970, a move that offered
protection to the turtles and strictly limited the number
of turtles that could be taken. Hostels in Limon Mal Pais |
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