Great Start in Costa Rica

    As soon as we arrived at Horizontes we were fed lunch. It included rice, beans and delicious chicken. After lunch we had a little bit of free time which was mostly spent relaxing on top of the watch tower and playing soccer. Then we met the turtle specialists to discuss the procedures and rules about patrolling for turtles.We ate dinner and prepared to leave for the beach around 8:30.

    We arrived at the beach around 9:00 and Scott and Jake went on the first patrol. The first patrol was unsuccessful. Sam went on the patrol after and that one was also unsuccessful. We all decided to get a little bit of sleep in while the other kids went out on a patrol. At about 1 o'clock in the morning we were awoken with the good news that a turtle had been found. We hiked down the beach to where the rest of the team was and were told to be patient and wait for the turtle to start nesting.

    At about 2:00 am the turtle started to lay eggs so it was alright for us to go look at it. The turtle was a Black Turtle and it was absolutely fascinating to watch the nesting process. We watched as the specialists tagged the turtle with a microchip and a metal chip with a number on it. Both tags were put into the right flipper of the turtle. Around 3:30 am the turtle finally climbed out of the hole it made and slowly made its way back to the water. Around 4:00 am we left the beach and all climbed into bed the second we got back to Horizontes.

    We got the opportunity to sleep basically all day and hang around Horizontes. We climbed the watch tower, played cards and had an excellent breakfast and lunch. Breakfast consisted of eggs, sausage, yogurt, fresh fruit, rice and beans. For lunch we had tuna pasta, fried fish and pork. A lot of the students went on a hike through the forest. On their way back they encountered a group of Capuchin monkeys. We capped off the day with a delicious dinner featuring chicken and beef.

 The view from the watchtower.  

Turtle tracks on the beach.