Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica offers 11 ecological habitats and rich biodiversity, including endangered animals such as sea turtles, jaguars, and manatees. Visitors can explore the park by boat or plane and guided tours offer the best opportunity to observe wildlife. The park was created to protect sea turtles from poaching and is home to 13 of Costa Rica’s endangered species.
While not easy to find, Tortuguero National Park seems worth the effort. Located in northeastern Costa Rica on the Caribbean coast, this park offers 11 ecological habitats and rich biodiversity that make it a favorite with visitors. Nature lovers can find a variety of ways to visit the park. The area was declared a park in 1970 to protect sea turtles and is home to many endangered animals.
Tortuguero National Park, a famous park in Costa Rica, can only be reached by boat or plane. Located in the Tortuguero Conservation Area, the park is bordered by volcanic hills to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east. There are 11 different ecological habitats, making Tortuguero National Park a favorite with nature lovers. The park includes both high and coastal rainforests, lagoons, marshes and beaches.
The diversity of habitats makes Tortuguero National Park a haven for a wide variety of animals and plants. The park is home to jaguars, pumas, ocelots, otters and howler monkeys. More than 300 bird species reportedly reside there, including macaws, toucans, anhingas, and falcons. Crocodiles and manatees inhabit the waters. The park’s most famous residents are the sea turtles. Giant Leatherback, Green, Hawksbill and Loggerhead turtles lay their eggs along the beaches where visitors can watch this process.
Both short and long trails wind through the park, although the inner trails are often covered in water. To avoid disturbing nesting turtles, park rules state that visitors may not walk the beach at night without a guide. Canoes and pangas, or flat-bottomed boats, can be rented in the village of Tortuguero, as visiting the park from the water is probably the preferred way to see the animals. Guided boat tours apparently offer the best opportunity to observe wildlife and there are a number of guides available who have been trained by the National Parks Service.
Tortuguero National Park was created to protect sea turtles that nest along the beaches. Turtle meat and eggs have been hunted since the 1500s and poachers are still a problem, although poaching incidents have decreased. The park is home to 13 of the 16 animals on Costa Rica’s endangered species list, including jaguars, pumas, and manatees. All three of these mammals are endangered by human encroachment on their territories. Manatees are hunted for their meat and were thought to be extinct in the park until found in isolated lagoons.
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