We are going to Tamarindo today.  Tamarindo is a local town that you can actually see from the beach near the house.  Dave and I decided we would walk to the water taxi instead of vanpooling.  I was up early and off to breakfast at 8:15.  Walked back to the house to do some laundry.  How IS this accomplished? 

It is somewhat difficult to wash your clothes in a bowl, but, night after night wearing your volunteer shirt results in having to wash it.  Plus, don't forget that 25 pound weight limit for the luggage on the small plane.  If you don't bring many clothes, you DO have to wash them. 

I accomplished this task, hung my clothes out on the line and set off for a walk to the estuary with Dave.

Dave and I walk about the same pace and 2 miles didn't seem so long.  How often do you get to walk along a beautiful beach in Costa Rica anyways.  Better take advantage of it!  We waded through the water and arrived at the water taxi.  A small rowboat with a motor and a canopy--that's the water taxi.  For 2 colones, it will take you across the estuary!

We crossed the estuary, paid the "taxi driver" and walked to the town of Tamarindo. 

We stopped quickly at a restaurant and were joined by some local patrons! (see below)                                                                                       

As we stepped outside, you were overtaken by the traffic in the stone street, large and small trucks, a guy on a bicycle with a surfboard, motorcycles, horses, and scooters.  No really nice sidewalks, everything is dusty.  Colorful clothes, surfboards and jewelry are everywhere.

Did a little souvenir shopping for my family and went to the Internet Cafe to talk to home.  Much cheaper and more efficient than trying to make a phone call!  At lunch, we sat at a beachside restaurant.  The beach and ocean were extremely beautiful. We walked back to the house via the beach again (another 2 miles)  It was not quite so hot and we made good time walking on the hardened sand near the surf's edge. 

I was on South Beach tonight with Cassie, and since the high tide is later and later every evening, I tried to sleep. (not so easy at 6pm)  We were to be on the beach at 8:15 and back at 3:40 am...We again drove down the bumpy, dark rode in the van and hiked through the edge of the vegetation and onto the beach.  We head toward Tamarindo and sit on a log for awhile, then head back.  I enjoy the split second of time when there is no wave action.  It's a relief to my ears and I think of home. We get a radio message that there is a Tortuga at 25--(we are at 36), so we need to hustle.  We basically break into a slow jog and arrive a little out of breath. 

Click on the link below for some great Leatherback egg photos--(go to more photos and peruse)

http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/reptiles/Dermochelys_coriacea/more_info.html

The turtle is below high tide so Cassie says we will need to collect the eggs.  I help her build her body pit and she explains that you have to widen the nest so that the plastic bag will fit in and you won't miss any eggs.  She is really deep in the sand, laying on her stomach when the tourists arrive.  She explains to them several times what she is doing and why.  Bryan and Nate arrive and I help Bryan measure and scan the turtle while Cassie is busy.  From the carapace measurements, he estimates the turtle to weigh about 900 POUNDS!  You can hear the turtle breathing as you brush the sand off her smooth shell to measure.

Another Picture of A Leatherback--but in the daytime!

(photo Ed Standora)

Scanning is a bit more difficult because sometimes you have to do a couple of attempts.  You hold the button down, move the scanner over her shoulder and you hear a beep.  A nine digit number is registered, you go to the data sheet and record it. 

We walk down the beach again, it's hot and humid, no good breezes.  I know I am getting a blister on my left foot, it feels the size of a quarter.  You are always walking on an angle on the beach and it causes your feet to rub in your shoes.  We trudge along talking sporadically, we pass the darkened tourist hut (usually it is glowing red) and sit on a log--MY BUTT HURTS!

Is it worth it?  Every moment!  Walking on a beach for 6 hours a  night, sweating, hurting, smelly...seeing falling stars dropping through constellations, and chasing leatherback turtles...who'd ever imagine that it would be so great?  These people are amazing, intelligent and motivated!

There is a turtle at 28!  We set up and dig our body pit...I will count eggs...as we watch, her nest collapses and she aborts it.  She moves a bit and starts digging again.  Carefully placing each flipper in the whole, she alternates removing sand...she is really slow at digging.  The nest collapses from the side again.  She throws sand and begins again to dig.  As we are sitting by our equipment, a guard approaches and tells us there is another turtle.  This is what a turtle looks like aglow in red light.

(photo courtesy of Gene Benarek)

Slowly, from the ocean, a darkened mass emerges.  We hurriedly move the equipment to get out of its way--(we have to maintain a certain distance)  The leatherback slowly labors up the beach, strangely digs a body pit, then leaves and goes back to the ocean.   (it's called a false crawl)

I ask if it is common--yes

I ask why--no one knows--hormones?

The other turtle is still trying to nest, so I lay face down on the beach with my head in my arms and listen to the biologists talk.  I am so tired.We debate how many times the turtle aborted--3,4,5?  I continue to listen to the debate as the sand pulls the heat from my body and I shiver...We still need to make one more pass down the beach to check and I readily volunteer because I am getting cold.  Nate and Bryan stay behind with the turtle.  On our way back, we see a trail leading into the water--YAHOO she has decided to quit--Is that good? 

 Thankfully, after 6 tries, she has given up--not a good night?  She will probably try again tomorrow--we are late leaving the beach--I'm gross, tired and sweaty--but I love it!

(photo by Suzanne Livingston)

Out of bed early--we all tend to get up early, no matter how late we were out.  I think we like each other's company and stories.  It was interesting for me to see the flip side of things.  Things don't always go right, in fact, sometimes, they don't go at all.  I found a new perspective to share with my students.  All turtles do not nest perfectly, don't lay eggs or place their nests in the correct spot.  I got to see a turtle emerge from the darkness at 2 am.  Wow! 

We walk our normal dirt road to Kike's for breakfast--I'm starving and can't wait for the fresh fruit.  The morning walks kill me--it seems so hot!  We are going to Play Carbone today (black sand beach) for a change in scenery.  It's at the end of Ventanas.  It should be interesting--tidal pools and all!  I crawl back to the house and lay in bed--it's good to be horizontal.  I emerge at 12:30 from the "dorm room" and sit in the air conditioning.

At 2pm we are on our way to Playa Carbone. 

The sand is really fine and black, it continually washes into the ocean.  Volcanic rocks jut out of the surf and little pools of water trap organisms in them. Tiny little crustaceans walk with their houses on their backs--if you spit on them they come out of their shell.  (someone taught me that!)  I run over the rocks looking for cool stuff.  I found sea slugs...

Here's one of my favorite pictures.

                 SEASLUGS...AHHHHHHHH

I finally caught a crab which promptly proceeded to bite my finger...He was trickily gluing himself to the side of the rock, but I was on to him and caught him...Who got the last laugh though?  We also found these little black sea stars that readily give up their legs (they fall off) when you touch them.  Don't panic, they regenerate...

There is a little stream that is pouring off the beach into the little gulf, Estephania told us this is killing the reef.  The sediment causes the water to be turbid and the organisms have trouble.  Anchors from boats also pull up the coral.

Looking from Playa Carbone

back toward  the house and

hatchery!

Someone has found Ridley Hatchlings on the beach.  We all grab our cameras and hightail it to beach marker 10.  They are hiding under a log to keep cool.  Some had already died from the heat exposure. Flies are already on them. Some were partially exposed out of the sand and a couple were all ready out.  It's a slow process as they shimmy out of the nest.  Sometimes it takes 2-4 days for them all to emerge and make a run for it to the water (usually at night)!  These guys seemed to goof!

Since it was so hot and sunny, they were rescued and put in a bucket to wait for nightfall.  Here's an idea of how little they are.

         Cute LITTLE Olive Ridley Hatchlings     

We were due out at 9:15 (notice it gets later every night)...Cassie had hurt her ankle so I volunteered to take her night patrol.  (a purely selfish motive, I confess)  I am here to see turtles and to get the whole experience!  I laid down for awhile and slept for an hour and a half...Jack and I hop in the blue van and bump to South beach.  We walk through the "woods" with our red lamps being careful to watch the "stump."  It's so spooky when you first step out on the empty dark beach.  It takes awhile for your eyes to adjust.  It's so noisy.  The sand on South beach is at a steep slope and a pain to walk on.  You have to continually dodge the surf...

Jack is Mr.  Astronomy...he knows all the constellations and points them all out.  He shows them to me as we rest on the "dreaded hurt your butt" log.  I bet it is difficult for these guys to continually get asked questions and spend hours with strangers walking on the beach.  I try to be quiet.

We walk back to 23 and see a turtle nesting below the high tide line.  I am going to collect the eggs in a plastic bag.  Jack explains that when the turtle puts her tail to the side under one flipper, she is going to lay the eggs.  We approach the turtle and dig a very deep body pit behind her for me to lay in.  I lay down with my headlamp on so I can see.  I am so close I can smell her turtley odor...(very scientific lingo...)

It is truly amazing how they lift their back flippers one at a time into the nest.  They sweep the sides of the nest, scraping the sand.  It falls to the bottom of the cavity, they reach in with that huge flipper, cup the sand and lift it out, depositing it alonside the cavity.  She then does the same thing with the other flipper.  Not one time did she hit the edge of the nest and knock sand into it from the top. (photo by Noelle Rucinski)

  




               \
            Tourists love the turtles!!         

                                                                                      (photo courtesy of Mathew Godfrey)

I was laying there, face in a turtle butt, tourists all around my legs and I began to see the nest collapse.  I slowly began to back away from the rear of the turtle.  I didn't want the tourists to think I was the cause of the wreckage.  The nest collapsed, she aborted and walked away.

The turtle had now moved above the high tide line so we aborted our egg catching attempt.  She began to dig, I put on the gloves and dug my body pit, had the counter and was face deep in the nest ready to go...The sand is heavy and wet when you make your body pit.  As I flipped on my head lamp, all the tourists ahhhhed.   I again had the privelege to observe up close and personal the making of a nest.  How cool is that?

(photo courtesy of Gene Bednarek)

The nest looked great to me, but she continued and it collapsed again...I back away with the thermocouple and the counter while Jack scans the turtle.  We write the data down, pick up our equipment and begin to patrol again.  We do the rest of our patrol and on our way back, find that the turtle has nested successfully.  We missed it, BUMMER!  She is still there and Jack basically interviews the guards about time of egg laying, time of nest covering (all data that is taken on every turtle)...We measure the turtle, I brush the sand from the carapace, she is so soft. 

Suddenly she begins to throw sand (nest disguising) and WHAP, I get hit in the thigh by one of her front flippers.  OWWWW, I can feel the strength in her strong flippers. 

             Turtle disguising nest (look at her big flippers!)  Think how strong she has to be

                                                to move herself along the sand!

(photo courtesy of Matthew Simmonds)

 We measure across to get the width, I have to dig down to get to the edge of her shell, she is so deep in the sand. 

We again patrol--but no turtles.  We are almost done.  Jack points out the Southern Cross.  I finally get to see it, mainly because it is so early in the morning.  We meet the North group again and sit and chat.  Nothing exciting to report, we again walk toward the Tamarindo end of the beach. 

Forget the sitting log, I look for my previous buttprint in the sand and sit down.  Sand fleas attack even though you are coated with bug repellant. 

We head back to 23 and report that South Team is leaving the beach--it's 3:15 am...

Another great night!