Page 58 - World of Animals - Issue #36

Explore the Earth

Watch turtles lay

eggs on the remote

Tortuguero beach

Tortuguero (“Land of Turtles”) is possibly the most
important turtle-nesting site in the Western Hemisphere.
Species such as the hawksbill, giant leatherback,
loggerhead and the endangered green sea turtle
(pictured) lay their eggs across the region’s 35.4
kilometres (22 miles) of protected beach.
There is plenty for nature lovers to see and do in
Tortuguero and the surrounding National Park; for
example, a tour boat ride through the neighbouring
creeks and lagoons, where you can catch sight of
caimans, river otters and – if you’re lucky – the West
Indian manatee.
The feature attraction however occurs between April
and October, where guided tours take you to nesting
sites under the blanket of night, where female green
sea and leatherback turtles arrive to lay their eggs. Visit
between November and January and you’ll likely miss
the parents, but take a stroll across the beach in the
late evening when temperatures begin to cool and you
might catch sight of freshly-hatched baby turtles darting
to the sea.

Go on the prowl

for the jaguar

Once widespread across Costa Rica, the
graceful and deadly jaguar has seen its range
and numbers plummet in recent times, due
to poaching and deforestation. Today, it can
only be found in the country’s protected
forest reserves, such as Corcovado National
Park, Santa Rosa National Park and the Rio
Mache Forest Preserve. Even then, this elusive
predator can be difficult to pin down. The best

time to go on a guided tour is during the rainy
season (June-July), when the jaguar is at its
most active.
The jaguar is the largest feline in the
Americas, and worldwide it is dwarfed only
by lions and tigers. It is a feared and versatile
hunter, capable of taking to the trees and
water, and it has the most powerful bite in the
cat family, capable of piercing through skulls
and the armour of reptilian species such as
caimans or turtles. Fortunately, jaguar attacks
on humans are almost unheard of.

58

054-061_Explore the Earth.indd 58 20/07/2016 15:31