Sorry we´ve been off the map for a few days…we have been on a turtle conservation reserve on a relatively remote beach for the past week. Although our conditions have been a bit rustic, we´ve really been enjoying helping out the project. During the day, we do various work around the project- painting fences, tending to the volunteer center and garbage pickup. Then the fun starts at night! Each of us is assigned to a 2-3 hour shift each night during which we patrol the beach for turtles or their nests. We help identify and record anything we see and if we get there in time, move the nests to protect them from raccoons or poachers. There are four types of turtles that lay eggs on this beach- black turtles, olive ridley, leatherbacks and hawksbills. We have learned to identify them based on the number of nails they have on their fins and the number of scales they have on their backs. This is the low season though, so there are rarely more than 3 or 4 turtles a night. Despite our best efforts, only Kira and Jessie have been lucky enough to see a live turtle- they saw a large black turtle last night. The rest of us have only seen nests and tracks.
However, there is no shortage of wildlife on this reserve. Our dormitory is populated by a herd of purple and red crabs and the occasional lizard. One night, Jessie, Allison and Jana saw a dead possum washed up on the beach – possibly one of the ugliest creatures of all time. There are also a herd of cows that live near the beach, an old wild horse who hangs around, and a few frogs every night. And of course, there are mosquitos…there are always mosquitos!
We are spending the day today relaxing in Samara, a nearby beach town where the waves are NOT six feet tall. (On the reserve, the waves are huge and powerful…let´s just say that now we know what clothes in a washing machine feel like!) Tomorrow, we are leaving for San Jose for a few days of exploring the city and climbing a volcano before it´s on to Roatan for SCUBA!