On the beach at Tortuguero, we were searching for the Atlantic Green turtle, whose range extends from waters off New England and the British Isles down to Argentina and South Africa. Tortuguero Beach is one of the most important nesting sites for this species and has been the site of some of the most extensive sea turtle research in the world. Sea turtles are one of the most mysterious animals to be found around the globe. They have outlived the dinosaurs, dating back more than 100,000 years, and are magnificent to behold, as close in appearance to dinosaurs as one can imagine. They have huge, horned scales and powerful flippers adapted for maximal speed under water.
Sea turtles possess impressive navigational skills.
They have been known to travel great distances, especially in order to return to their nesting beaches. It is widely thought that many species of sea turtles return to their natal beaches to lay their own eggs, as if mysteriously compelled and able to navigate by using some internal compass. Unfortunately, all species of sea turtles are currently endangered. Sea turtles are threatened most directly by the extensive international shrimping industry. They are trapped and drowned in shrimp nets, and then tossed off the fishing boats as waste.