Turtle Watching Around Nicaragua
For nearly 6 months out of the year (roughly from July to December), hundreds of thousands of rare sea turtles return to the same beach in which they were born to lay millions of eggs. There are other places in the world that bear witness to turtle hatching, but Nicaragua is one of only four countries where turtle hatchings occur on such a large scale.
You can be there as well, witnessing one of Mother Nature’s truly remarkable rites of passage.
Each month along Nicaragua’s stunning coastlines, several thousand sea turtles come ashore and lay an average of 100 small ping-pong ball shaped eggs each. Both of Nicaragua’s coasts (Pacific and Carribean) are popular sites for nesting turtles, whose species include the Hawksbill, Loggerhead and Green Sea turtles.
Curious visitors, students and nature lovers can only arrive via water or air, local charter operations provide flights to the region for less than $100.00 roundtrip. Check the travel links on Nicaragua.com for more information.
One of the largest groups of turtles can be found at the La Flor Wildlife Reserve, a horeshoe of white sand beach lined by magnificient tropical rainforests and rocky cliffs. Located just south of San Juan del Sur, this natural refuge covers only a mile and a half of beach, yet attracts an unbelievable number of turtles each year, including more than 200,000 Olive Ridleys, one of the world’s smallest species.
You’ll be so close you’ll want to reach out and help these mother turtles on there way, as they jockey for position among the warm sands of the nicaguan coastline. La Flor is also visited by an average of 3,000 Paslama Turtles as well as several Parrot Turtles, the largest and most threatened of all marine turtles.
Visitors interested in witnessing this exciting phenomenon can reach La Flor from Managua in less than 45 minutes.
Watch, learn and appreciate. And don’t be surprised if you catch yourself hugging your own kids a little tighter after watching this incredible effort in motherhood.
Check out the Hotels and Travel link on Nicaragua.com for more information tours and accommodations.