Costa Rica: Pura Vida
“Pura vida” is a popular expression in Costa Rica. Translated to English it means “pure life,” but it’s used for “hello,” “goodbye,” “how are you” and simply to affirm that life is good in this tropical Caribbean nation. But if life is good in Costa Rica for humans, it’s a paradise for animals. Nestled between Nicaragua and Panama and bordering both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, Costa Rica is home to an amazing array of exotic wildlife, including sea turtles, monkeys, toucans, jaguars, lizards, snakes, frogs and spiders. In fact, it is one of the most biologically rich places in the world.

Olive Ridley Sea Turtles
One of Costa Rica's most well-known and best-loved animals is the Olive Ridley sea turtle. Olive Ridleys are the smallest of the sea turtles and are named for the olive-green color of their heart-shaped shells. They grow to lengths between 3 and 4 feet and weigh up to 100 pounds. Most live for about 20 years, but some have been known to reach 80 years or more. Their streamlined bodies are perfectly suited to an aquatic lifestyle. They move between land and water with the grace and dignity of an animal that has been around long enough to watch the dinosaurs come and go.

Olive Ridleys have a very peculiar method of nesting. Large groups of females emerge from the ocean at about the same time and climb onto the beach to lay their eggs. This is known as an arribada, from the Spanish word for “arrival.” Each deposits her eggs into a nest on the beach. After a period of incubation, the baby sea turtles hatch and make their way back down to the ocean, doing their best to avoid an assortment of hungry predators along the way.

No one knows for certain why arribadas occur. It could be that nesting in large groups may be a defense against predators or the result of some environmental cue. Whatever the reason, researchers believe that the vast majority of female Olive Ridley sea turtles participate in the arribadas, laying as many as a million eggs on the beach each year.

Olive Ridleys are threatened in Costa Rica and throughout their range. Several factors have contributed to their decline, including coastal construction, beach driving and beachfront lighting. Threats to turtles in the water can be even more serious. Turtles are sometimes killed when they become entangled in fishing nets or collide with boats. But the biggest threat comes from humans. In many parts of the world, turtle meat is considered a delicacy and is eaten in large quantities. Sea turtle eggs are also eaten by humans, mostly because they are believed to be an aphrodisiac. However, most countries have banned the collection of eggs in an effort to re-establish sea turtle populations.

Capuchin Monkeys
Costa Rica is also home to white-faced capuchin monkeys, a species of New World primate with a black skull cap and white face and throat. White-faced capuchins live in wet lowland forests in groups ranging from just a few individuals to several dozen. They are opportunistic feeders and can be seen searching under logs and leaves for insects and small vertebrates or testing fruit for ripeness by squeezing and smelling it. They also have a taste for seafood. Using rocks and tree branches, they break open the shells of mollusks and feed on the meat inside.

The behaviors of white-faced capuchins are fascinating. With their meticulous eating behavior, creative use of tools and complex social structures, they are considered to be the most intelligent of the New World monkeys. White-faced capuchins are found throughout Central America but they have disappeared in some areas that were traditionally a part of their range due to habitat loss and illegal capture for the exotic pet trade and private zoos. They are also hunted by farmers who fear that they will raid their crops.

Plumed Basilisk: The Jesus Christ Lizard
Another example of Costa Rica’s incredible wildlife is the beautiful plumed basilisk, a turquoise-green lizard that lives in trees. It is also known as the “Jesus Christ lizard” because of its ability to walk on water for short distances by using its feet and tail for support. And if that isn’t enough of a trick, the plumed basilisk can run on its hind legs up to seven miles per hour and remain submerged in the water for up to 30 minutes. Although they are relatively common in the wild, loss of suitable habitat and environmental contaminants are causing a decline in plumed basilisk populations in Costa Rica.

Conservation in Costa Rica
Until recently, Costa Rica was losing its forests at an alarming rate and facing a host of serious environmental issues. Although deforestation continues its pace has slowed thanks to a national commitment to conservation and ecotourism. In fact, Costa Rica was one of the first countries in the world to establish a viable ecotourism industry. Instead of harvesting the rain forests and hunting wildlife, local inhabitants now benefit from a tourist economy based on the country’s biodiversity. Developing ecotourism has been a win-win situation for Costa Rica. The country is now leading the way in Latin America for conservation and has protected a larger proportion of its land than any other country in the world.

Get Involved
Volunteer to help save sea turtles in Costa Rica now.

You don't have to travel to Costa Rica to help the Olive Ridley Turtle. Learn how you can adopt an Olive Ridley Turtle online.