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Published: November 10th 2009
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Drake,
Corcovado Park. The most people working in the project are from Spain, this means a lot of swearing is involved. They are great though. When I arrived there was also a German boy, who was there already 2 months. He´s the one who has all the bad luck, but seriously all of it: He paid too much through an organisation who arranged a project for him. 2 Hours before he left the changed the destination though, which meant he doesn´t has the stuff with him which he needs, parents were not informed and contacted the police. Besides that he gets eaten alive by everything that stings or bites so his legs look like, well ehhrr shit. And he just left for the the hospital(hours away) because he got Dengue. You also have 2 american ladies, who had very much energy, could be really loud and have amazing stories to tell e.g. La has been for 12(!) years in meditation retreat, solitude. And I guess everyone remembers their last night, which ended in too much rum. When they came back one was having a problem with a bit of toilet paper in the toilet, which should be in basket, and wanted
to share this information loudly and high-pitched with everyone. The other didn´t say much more than "fuck off", "bullshit" and "you´re talking shit". This real life Jerry went on for about 20 minutes.
But I'm here for the (Olive Ridley) turtles! I´ve been maybe a bit lucky because I´ve seen 2 mama 'tortugas' laying eggs and I´ve seen 2 nests with young hatchlings. Some haven´t even seen a mama turtle and they are here weeks longer. In the patrolling at night and a mama comes out you need to gather a lot of data: measure different points of the turtle, distances to high tide and vegetation, count the eggs, maybe replace the nest, dig a new nest, camouflage everything. And of course enjoy the moment because it´s impressive not even the amount of eggs ('mine' had 119) but the whole process: they dig the nest pretty deep, get into a trance and do some kind of dance to camouflaged the nest('making their bed'😉. So besides all the necessities it´s just heart warming to be part of this incredible process. The hatchery shifts are pretty boring, if you´re lucky it´s nice weather and you can swim a bit. With that
said be watching out for huge logs you might ´run ´into or vice versa. You probably will get disturbed in your naps in the hammock by loud red macaws, you will finish reading a lot of books and you have to check the nests if there are no hatchlings trying to find their ways out. You also have to do excavations: you can run into empty shells, which is good, full eggs which is not good and/or baby turtles who are a bit slow, getting eaten alive by maggots or just are a deformed -alive- monster e.g. see albino picture.
Corcovado Foundation, Sea Turtle Conservation Program using standardised scientific methods to promote the long term survival of the nesting population, by protecting the turtle eggs from illegal poaching and natural predators.
The place is really nice with lot of mud everywhere, no electricity, lots of rain, and a diet of rice, pasta, beans, lentils, veggies. I might need to remember you of the fact I do not like rain, do not like beans, and lentils aren´t either my favourite ha ha. No seriously it´s a special place, set on the edge of the jungle and it was cool how everyone brings in new ideas/ creative meals on the table. I got lucky with mostly dry patrols and I liked the fact that everyday crossing the laguna would bring you something
different: or you have to wade through the water waist deep, or you don´t row over the boat, but you have to walk over the boat because of the currents and sometimes you get over easily and dry and then you get stuck in the mud by getting out and fall. All together everyday excitement.
I also visited the beautiful
Playa Ganado for 3 days, this is a beach were we also patrol. It takes you over 3 hours to get there; you have to walk and boat and walk again to get there, it´s beautiful, pristine and we´ve had some monkey company. Who are absolutely hilarious and very curious; little capuchin monkeys were imitating me when I was showering under to hose. And the howler monkeys would make a hell of a noise which sounded like unhappy complaining sounds whenever it starts raining.. I guess they choose the wrong continent. Only the patrols were almost not do-able for me, you need to a pro sportsman; such steep beaches and loose sand. We've seen a little green turtle making a nest, so cool because these are barely seen anymore along the coast here.
I decided to end the
project earlier than planned, shortly to do with: having a lot on my mind and having too much time to think, which made me restless. This combined with no communication via phone or internet. Too bad I feel this way, because again the Spanish are weird but amazing and turtles are truly the bomb. Being in the middle of nowhere I normally like, but I guess it all had to do with wrong timing.
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