THE LEATHERBACK TURTLE —
THE LAST REMAINING DINOSAUR

Have you ever been in the presence of something so ancient that when you look at it you know that it has seen it all?

That was my first impression when I came face to face with one of the most primitive and most critically endangered animals left on earth: the leatherback turtle. A few years back my husband and I visited the Las Baulas (the leatherback) National Marine Park in Costa Rica. The entrance fee was steep but since you only see such wonders on the Discovery Channel or in a National Geographic magazine we decided to go for it. The tour picked us up at nine at night at our hotel in Tamarindo Beach and drove over to Playa Grande (10 minutes away). There we were greeted by a tour guide. He told us that about ten years ago he made his living by poaching the leatherback’s eggs. The leatherbacks’ eggs are said to have an aphrodisiac effect on men. Many Latinos believe they will be better lovers if they eat them. This is obviously a hoax, but old traditions are difficult to dispute when your fathers and grandfathers have instilled this into your belief system.

Today very few poachers exist due to heavy fines and imprisonment. However, today the turtles’ problems are much more pressing than a man with a low libido. Greed and money have come in direct conflict with this creatures’ survival. Waiting around for hours on Playa Grande, we were told that the turtle makes her way out of the ocean when the tide is high to help push her out of the surf and onto the beach. Finally, at around 2 am our guide told us that a turtle has surfaced. He told us to walk in a single line and follow him. We must have walked for over 30 minutes, until we spotted her. She was immense, close to the size of a small car with legs the size of skateboards. Laboriously, she worked hard at making a nest and once the laying process began we were allowed to surround her. I was so moved by this experience that I could think of nothing else.

The following day we went back to the park to see the museum during the day and discovered the harsh facts. In 1990 over 1100 turtles came to nest on Playa Grande, which is considered one of the five most important nesting sites in the world. Today, no more than 50 remain.

If the world doesn’t take serious notice of this the creature that has been around for over 65 million years will be placed on the same shelf as the dinosaur in the extinct category. There is no escaping the problems that surround this animal: Over-development of beach front properties with the use of lights, and pets scare the turtles away and they never return. The leatherback’s main food source is jelly fish, with all the garbage thrown into the waters they are constantly dying from trying to eat plastic. And what little turtles remain, they too are killed by getting trapped in fishing nets of huge industrial fishing boats. Now matter which direction one looks the human affect on this animal is bringing it to its doom.

When I learned all this, I was moved to take action. We donated money to the park; however, I wanted to do more. I have a son who is three years old, and I want him to grow up and see this turtle in its natural habitat. That’s when I became inspired to write my young adult book ‘Turtle Feet, Surfer’s Beat’. The kids and teens of today are our future. They are the ones we need to focus on, to educate. My book is a fun adventure through Costa Rica’s most famous surf town, with beach parties, teen romances and marine preservation.

I also believe to act is much more than just reading a book, it’s about hands-on. With that, I founded www.turtlefeetsurfersbeat.com a community for kids, teens and parents to join forces with surfers, musicians, artists, specialists and everyone else who is devoted to helping marine preservation.

So join us today and have fun!!!

Marina Kuperman TURTLE FEET, SURFER´S BEAT Take the ultimate ride!!! www.Turtlefeetsurfersbeat.com