Turtles in Costa Rica by Emily Lauterpacht

After the marine biology trip that I went on this summer, I have found turtles and their nesting habits very interesting. Today I read about some turtles nesting in Costa Rica.

This is how the trip ashore of the Olive Ridley Turtles of the Ostional Wildlife Refuge should have looked. However, tourists managed to swarm the beach, where they touched the turtles, took flash pictures of them and stood on top of where they had recently laid eggs. 
The Olive Ridley Turtles are classified as vulnerable and, like many other marine species, is at threat from waste found in the ocean, as well as many other things like climate change. 

Caught in a drifting net

As these beautiful creatures are already endangered, it sickens me that tourists could so selfishly and mindlessly endanger them even more. 
For more information read this article, or visit the Ostional Wildife Refuge Facebook page. 
A petition has also been started here to encourage the government to make it illegal to sell the eggs of endangered turtles in the area. 

Emily Lauterpacht