One of the lesser-seen butterflies is this Banded Tigerwing, Aeria eurimedia (my gallery link) found only in Central America and Northern South America. I think it is a handsome butterfly and I almost used one of my photos of it on my ’23 Christmas Card! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Experiencing a Green Sea Turtle Egg-laying
Tortuguero is one of, if not the largest, Green Sea Turtle nesting spots in the world with about 37,000 turtles laying their eggs here every year between July & October. There is no guarantee that you will see one laying eggs, but is still a very popular tourist & locals activity here. There were three groups (3 boat-loads of people) from three lodges in our area of the beach with only one active “egg layer” Wednesday night, so we rotated around in 2 to 5 minute periods watching her clean the area of trash, dig the hole, lay the eggs, bury them and return to the ocean. We stayed behind her, so she would not see us. We saw with only the moonlight and occasionally the guide’s red light which doesn’t bother the mother turtle. And of course we were not allowed to photograph or talk while near the mother turtle. It was truly a “lifetime experience” to see those rubbery, soft eggs drop into that big sandy hole and then watch her bury them to protect from predators.
If interested in seeing them here, read about it on the national park website at https://www.tortugueronationalpark.com/tortuguero-turtle-nesting-season/ Or actually, your lodge in Tortuguero makes all the arrangements for you if here during any of the egg-laying seasons, with Green Turtles the longest (July to October). The others are around March to June with Leatherback being the second most seen, but a total of 6 species here.
Here is a cellphone photo of the sticker they gave us in appreciation of our donation to the Turtle Conservancy:
And on Christmas morning 2017 I got to help release some newborn baby Olive Ridley Turtles in Tambor Bay.
And on a 2011 cruise I got to help release some newborn baby Leatherback Turtles at Acapulco, Mexico. And of course on both of those experiences I was allowed to make photos!
¡Pura Vida!