11 - Case Study: The Evolution of Tourism and Sea Turtle Conservation at Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

Abstract

Sea turtle conservation and research efforts in Tortuguero, Costa Rica, began in the 1950s. Legislation protecting sea turtles and creating Tortuguero National Park (TNP) in the 1960 and 1970s caused the village economy to change, from natural resource exploitation to an economy based on ecotourism. Tourism increased in the park rapidly, and so did the impact on the Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nesting population. The need to limit this impact led the TNP to implement a tour guide program in the early 1990s. This program, although a significant improvement over previous human activity on the beach, was only partially successful, due to the large numbers of tourists on the beach every night. Therefore, the Spotters Program was created, whose main purpose is to reduce the presence of tourists on the beach. Here, we present a description, an appraisal, of the evolution of the Tortuguero Visitation Program as a conservation tool.