Tourists Get in the Way of Sea Turtles Laying Eggs in Costa Rica

[Judi Lynn]

Tourists Get in the Way of Sea Turtles Laying Eggs in Costa Rica
Sept. 18, 2015

Too busy taking photos and petting the reptiles to notice they were disrupting breeding


A large group of tourists disrupted sea turtles from laying their eggs on a beach in Costa Rica last weekend, according to local news sources.

Every year hundreds of sea turtles journey to a wildlife refuge in Guanacaste, Costa Rica in order to lay their eggs. This year, though, tourists were able to access the refuge because droughts have lowered water levels that usually make the area inaccessible to people.

The tourists reportedly took photos, touched the turtles and stood on their nests, forcing several to return to the ocean without laying their eggs, according to La Nacion.

Costa Rica’s Secretary of Environment is investigating why officials were unable to control the tourists.


http://time.com/4040062/tourists-costa-rica-sea-turtles/

(Short article, no more at link.)

LBN:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141210618

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Tourists Thwart Turtles from Nesting in Costa Rica
By ELISABETH MALKIN and PAULINA VILLEGAS
SEPT. 18, 2015

MEXICO CITY — The day-trippers swarmed onto the beach to watch one of nature’s most extraordinary sights, hundreds of thousands of olive ridley sea turtles crawling out of the ocean to lay their eggs in the sand.

The turtles did not want the company. Scared off by the thousands of tourists massed along Ostional Beach on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast, snapping selfies and perching their children on the turtles’ backs, the ancient reptiles simply turned around and retreated into the sea.

“It was a mess,” said Yamileth Baltodano, a tour guide who was at the scene when the turtles were scared away two weeks ago.

What happened during the first weekend in September was a one-time event, when a confluence of factors allowed the utterly unexpected to take place. But it was a cautionary tale for the conservationists charged with protecting the turtles, which are classified as vulnerable, not to mention a social media sensation. Now Costa Rican officials are scrambling to make sure it does not happen again.

More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/19/world/americas/tourists-thwart-turtles-from-nesting-in-costa-rica.html?_r=0

[merrily]

1. We stayed in Fort Meyers Beach, when turtles happened to be nesting.

(We went to see the Red Sox, not the turtles.)

When we checked in, the desk clerk instructed us about being quiet, closing the drapes at night, so the light did not disturb them, etc.

It's unfortunate that people cannot even be that responsible.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Thanks for letting us know the people there are enlightened regarding not harming, interfering

with the solemn, exhausting work undertaken by these turtle in order to keep their species alive.

I am frankly surprised, and most happily surprised, to learn U.S. Americans in Ft. Myers are respectful toward these truly helpless creatures.

Such good news.

[merrily]

5. Making some kind of contribution just by closing the drapes and not being noisy is a luxury, really.

[Euphoria]

2. In my experience, tourists are the

scourge of the earth - looking for accumulating boasting points and thrills. Most do not give a damn about where they are and who is actually lives there.
Just IMHO.

[Judi Lynn]

4. They are usually pigs, unfortunately, as they have no sense of responsibility toward the countries

and the people they are visiting. They genuinely seem to think since it's their vacation, they are entitled to do any damned thing which slithers through their minds. They must think they don't have to answer for their behavior most likely because they won't be around long enough to have to answer for it.

That's really ugly.

I nearly vomited when I saw those photos, and even read they stand on their nests, and sit on the pregnant, or delivering mothers. I can't believe anyone could be that stupid, and grotesquely selfish.

I agree with you completely.