Finding Sea Turtles In Nicaragua

When you invest in Nicaragua real estate or retire to Nicaragua you are afforded many benefits. One such benefit is the opportunity to be exposed to natural wonders that you otherwise would not experience in North America. Among the more fascinating experiences is the opportunity to see huge groups of sea turtles lay their eggs on the shores of Nicaragua. This is one of the few places in the world to see this. This fascinating event is called arribadas and occurs several times per year.

Sea turtles have been victims of over worldwide harvesting and only seven species are left in existence today. Of the seven a whopping five individual species are present in Nicaragua. These turtles include the Olive Ridley Turtle, the Loggerhead Turtle, the Hawksbill Turtle, the Leatherback Turtle, and the Green Turtle. Three of these five can be found near the San Juan del Sur area. Sadly, each of the five species of turtles is at risk and has been placed on the critically endangered species list or the endangered species list. It is not uncommon to find yourself maneuvering a boat through hundreds of turtles.

The coastal dwellers use the eggs as a food source and more recently they found there was a lucrative commercial demand for the eggs. The turtle eggs are easily sold to seafood restaurants in Leon or Managua or any other major city. The commercial consumption of turtle eggs is having a devastating effect on the sea turtle population.

The regulated protection of the turtles and turtle eggs is managed by organizations like the Cocibolca Foundation as well as the Nicaraguan Army. Beaches such as Chacocente and La Flor are national turtle reserves. At these sites creative agreements have been made with the local populations. The local residents are allowed to take a certain number of eggs in exchange for their help in protecting the sea turtle nests.

Extremely interesting and turtle sensitive tours to La Flor to watch the sea turtles can be easily arranged through a number of places in San Juan del Sur. San Juan del Sur real estate is rapidly becoming a popular Nicaragua real estate investment destination amongst North Americans.

Look on http://life-in-nicaragua.blogspot.com for more information on real estate in Nicaragua and San Juan Del Sur.