MAWAMBA LODGE ¬¬¬¬ , The Green Sea Turtle Tour in Tortuguero Next Hotel

Dear Friends¡

Greetings from all the staff and friends from Grupo Mawamba !

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As you will know, Tortuguero is the most important site in the Occidental Caribbean area for the nesting of the endangered Green Sea Turtle, so we would like to take this opportunity in order to update you with the respective policies that will be applied for the Night turtle tour during the next nesting season starting on July 2008 . Please keep them in mind in order to provide the best possible service to all our guests !

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A Little bit of History
GREEN TURTLES ARE ARRIVING
Enjoy them... responsibly

A glance to the past:

Since the pre-columbine period, cultural groups associated to the native Misquitos and Malekus tribes where established in the area of Tortuguero and surroundings. Their main activities included hunting, fishing and turtle hunting. It is not until the XVI and beginnings of XVII centuries that the Spaniard Colony establishes small niches close to Matina and with this, the contact with the occidental culture starts.
History documents the wide knowledge navigators, both Spanish as well as pirates, had about marine turtles as an extraordinary source of fresh meat. Same way, during the last 500 years Zambo Misquitos, coming from the South Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua, have used this area to hunt the green turtle, with a wide knowledge of turtle migratory behavior and nesting habits. During the early century, many Afro – Caribbean people from San Andrés, Jamaica and Nicaragua also arrive, to commerce with products such as coconuts, cocoa and of course, turtles and their eggs.

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What’s happening today?

The Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC) was founded in 1959 to study and protect Caribbean Green Turtles. Mr. Archie Carr was their founding scientific director, a tropical field ecologist and biologist who at the time of his death, was known as the world’s leading authority on sea turtles. Working closely with the Costa Rican government they helped establish on October 28, 1975 the Tortuguero Natural Park as a resource of the protection not only of turtles but also wildlife and its biodiversity, with an in-land extension of 18,946.9 ha and a marine extension of 52,265 ha. Due to recent acquisition of land for reforestation, Tortuguero Park extension is determined by some at approximately 26,000 ha. Also, the Tortuguero Conservation Area (ACTo for its initials in Spanish) is founded to apply the valid legislation in respect to natural resources and conservation.

As part of these entities efforts of conservation, the official period of observation of green sea turtles is officially established between July 1st and October 30th. During this time, there is extreme surveillance in the beach at Tortuguero and several regulations for the observation of turtles are created, same ones that we indicate here in order to make your experience a most rewarding one.

To promote amongst the local population the NO consumption of marine turtles for meat and eggs, several projects involving the local community have been created. One is the education of local people in order to become tour guides for the Green Turtle Night Tour, so they can obtain profit WITH the turtles and not FROM the turtles. Thus, we appreciate your support to this project, which brings great benefits to the community and your comprehension in the fact that most of these guides have limitations with foreign languages, such as English. We appreciate that those in a group who speak both English and Spanish will be huge collaborators in translating to the group.
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When the nesting season starts ( July ) your guests could fine and OPTIONAL TOUR at Mawamba Lodge in Tortuguero which by the way is NOT included at any of the tour packages that we handle in this area, which consists in going out at night to the Tortuguero beach and try to see a green turtle nesting.

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Please note that this tour is handled by walking on a pararel trail along the beach to a nominated BASE or pre-established area or assigned point in order to wait for a “searcher-person” or turtle guide whom will be looking for turtles by himself and as soon as one is pointed, will let the guide of the group know about this in order to avoid and stop the nesting by the people walking along the beach looking for the turtles.
There are now 3 pre-established bases in public areas and 2 inside the National Park

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This OPTIONAL TOUR has a price of USD $30.00 per person during the nesting season during the months of July, August and September. All people taking this tour will have to pay for it . Children under 3 years old are free of charge for this tour.

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In case that you would not see any turtle during the tour, did not show for the tour, or get late and loose the tour, the money paid is not reimbursed and cannot be used for a second tour. The tour is given in two different schedules. The first group will be leaving the Lodge from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM and the second will be taken the tour from 10:00 PM to 12: PM

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Clients nor the Lodge can’t choose an specific group or schedule due to this is assigned by the National Park office as this tour is handled in conjuntion with them and they are the responsibles for the time and assignment for the night turtle tour details.

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The night turtle tour has to be reserved directly at the Lodge and CAN NOT BE RESERVED in ADVANC or PRE-RESERVED. The final names has to be presented at the National Park office the same date of the tour and in due to this list, they will proceed with the schedule for each tour as well as the number of people taking part of the tour. Please recall that all the Lodges of the area will be taking part of the same procedure and is not only Mawamba Lodge.

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If you want to take this tour, please ask for details and check in at the front desk Lodge. Check in time and buying time will be closed at 3:00 PM so we recommend to check in for the tour as early as possible.

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All guest can take the tour as many times as desired. Every time taking this tour, will have to pay the amount of USD $30.00 per person

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The price per person has to be paid in CASH ( USD $dollars or Costa Rican money – exchange rate ) as well as travellers checks are also accepted at the Lodge front desk.

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Closed shoes are recommended for this tour

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Please let your client know that DARK COLOR CLOTH is requested for this tour and NO light color cloth is allowed due to the turtles are very sensitivity to this and can go back to the sea without ending the nesting.
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Smell: Turtles have a very developed sense of smell. Females stick their pick in the sand as they make their way to the beach, which suggests they verify that the beach is the right place to nest and also it plays an important role in their orientation. Thus, it is possible that if you smoke, drink alcohol, or wear perfume, you will disturb their nesting, so please refrain from doing so. When wearing insect repellant please try to use, if possible, one in cream not in spray
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Sensibility to light: Studies demonstrate that nesting turtles are disturbed by light. Thus, females nest on the darker areas of the beach. Guides use a red light flashlight, to which turtles are not sensitive. Due to this reason the use of cameras, video cameras or similar of any kind, are not permitted during the tour. Also, it is requested to wear dark clothes, preferably black, because other colors produce reflection.
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NO smoking in this tour is permitted
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INFORMATIVE!

Nesting habits
Length of the nesting process is about 2 hours and a half. From total time, 118 minutes are used for the construction and camouflage of the nest. There are 8 stages of nesting,
1. EMERGING: Emerging from the sea. The turtle is VERY sensible during this stage. If disturbed, it will probably return to sea without nesting.
2. SELECTION OF THE POSITION OF NEST: It drags to the beach using its front fins, leaving a parallel path behind her.
3. MAKING THE BED: When it picks a place to nest, she cleans it with its four fins. Removes the superficial sand to create a bed to lay, remaining lower than the beach level.
4. THE EGG CHAMBER: Its constructed using only the back fins. It pulls out the sand with one of the back fins and puts it next to the hole. With the other, pulls more sand. First fin throws the sand and then descends again to the camber to pull out more. This process is repeated until the turtle can’t reach the chambers’ bottom
5. EGG LAYING: In the moment eggs are laid, the turtle is less sensitive. The process takes approximately 15 minutes. Generally, it covers the chamber with one of her back fins, possibly as a way to prevent sand to come into the chamber.
6. COVERING THE CHAMBER: Once the egg-laying process is finished, she starts to cover the Chamber using her back fins, process that takes approximately 12 minutes.
7. CAMUFLAGING THE NEST: After she covers the top of the chamber with the front fins, she throws sand right behind her in order to camouflage the nest. It takes approximately 43 minutes.
8. RETURNING TO SEA: Generally she does it in a straight line from the nest.
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How is the future looking?

Resent studies on the path census indicate that the population of Green Sea Turtles has been recovering and it is estimated that the number of nests deposited in the beach between 1971 and 1996 has been doubled. Thanks to all of the efforts done since the creation of the Tortuguero National Park, the existence of non-profit organizations such as the Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC), the efforts to preserve the Marine Turtles are greatly benefited. Your cooperation in observing these norms and enjoying the turtle season responsibly allows us to see a brighter future on this respect.

Thanks a lot for your attention to all the above recommendations as well as for your preference to Grupo Mawamba and for let us share you and your guests with the Tradition of the Costa Rican hospitality!
Please pass copy of this on to the sales people involved ¡ Thanks ¡

Grupo Mawamba¡!
Tradition of the Costa Rican hospitality!

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