Costa Rica day 9 (Scuba Diving in playas del Coco and Baula Turtle nesting)

Costa Rica day 9

Today it has been a really long day. It started as early as 5:00 am,
and it has just finished at 1:00 am.
But it was really, really great day, everything as planed.

We have being doing three things:
*Scuba diving.
*Hang around in the Playa Conchal and Playa Grande
*See Esmeralda, a Baula turtle, nesting 107 eggs.

We had to wake up so early because the first activity of the day was
at Playas del Coco, which was over 1 hour 15 minutes drive from
Tamarindo. We had to be there by 7 am because Alberto was going to do
the Discover Scuba Diving, and needed to be trained first in a
swimming pool. He was going to take a 20 min brief training and then
Alberto, the instructor Will and me were going to go down.

Either instructor Will, a Colombian guy, was a good instructor or
Alberto is a natural born diver, or both, because we were 12-15 meters
deep in two dives, and Alberto felt really comfortable. We had to stop
him a couple of times because we was swimming away towards banks of
fish. Temperature was good 21-22 C, although Will said it was really
cold, but you know Will was very "smooth".
The visibility was not great, because it was windy, but we were able
to see a fair amount of things, coral, various fishes, manta rays, an
scorpion fish, eels, Octopus and few more I don't know like "morenas",
"camarón payaso" & "pez corneta" among others.

Alberto liked so much that he kept repeating how cool it had been, and
we are changing our plans a bit to dive again in Manuel Antonio or
Drake.

After the scuba diving and lunch we went to visit a couple of the
beaches recommended in the area. Playa Conchal was really nice and
also was Playa Grande, miles and miles of white sand beaches, next to
the Tamarindo Baulas national park.

We then went back to the hotel to rest for a while because that night
we had to be at 23:00 back in "las Baulas" center, where we registered
to try to see baula turtles nesting, and we might have to wait an
unknown amount of time. We had to wait in the center until
the first turtle arrived and that could be immediate, or wait till
4:00 am, or maybe none would arrived.

But we were lucky, very lucky, just when we were going to be receive
the briefing at 23:15, we were told that the first turtle arrived, and
the first 30 could see her. We were number 8 & 9. Apparently that night
was new moon which was the best time.

And it was indeed the best time to see them. The night was clear, full
of starts, we could see clearly the milky way, Taurus constellation,
Orion constellation, and the Polar star low in the horizon was so
bright that it was reflecting on the flat ocean. Amazing. There was
Esmeralda, a HUGE Baula turtle 1.5 m long, that could weight 300 kg or
more. When we arrived, Esmeralda was digging hole with the back legs,
very delicately, to then put in it 107 eggs. And then gently cover
them. Really really amazing.

We were back in the hotel by 1:00. So the next day we would be able to
get up early and continue our way. And we were not going to spend one
more day to try to see lora turtles in Ostional (the Lora turtle is
far smaller).

Filo
A known anonymous
+
AlberTICO.