---

See also: The Area - Local Fauna - Volunteering - Transportation

---

• 

Temporada de anidación 2020 - 2021*
​Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas DE GUANACASTE

Tortuga baula del Pacífico Oriental Tropical
​Tropical Eastern Pacific leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea​)

Tortuga verde del Pacífico
Eastern Pacific green turtle (Chelonia mydas​)

Tortuga lora
Olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea​)

* Identificación de hembras anidantes por SINAC-ACT-PNMBG, Spotila et al. 2021, Kuemar Guanacaste

Tropical Eastern Pacific Leatherback Turtle nesting in PNMB

Spotila et al. 2020

---

* Park boundaries for reference use only.

---

Focal Elements of management

Las Baulas National Marine Park is more than leatherbacks! The park protects multiple ecosystems managed in focal elements:

NEsting Beaches

Playa Grande, Playa Ventanas and Playa Langosta are important nesting beaches for leatherback turtles on the Tropical Eastern Pacific (Steyermark, A. et al. 1996). Different threats are affecting the area, but the Park protection of 175 meters alongside the beaches, let a "green curtain" (vegetation) to protect the nesting turtles from light and sound pollution from the human development done inland. 

Leatherback Turtle Tour

Wetlands & Mangrove Forest

Las Baulas Park protects 3 different wetlands, included the Tamarindo Wetland, a Ramsar Site of International Importance! This place is important for migratory birds, mammals, reptiles as black iguanas or the american crocodile and birds like the endemic mangrove hummingbird (Amazilia boucardi). San Francisco wetland and Ventanas estuary are also part of this ecosystem.

Education Open Class

Tropical Dry Forest

Morro Hermoso (Beautiful hill in Spanish) and the beachfront vegetation are the main patches of tropical dry forest in Las Baulas National Marine Park. This secondary forest is in regeneration as it was formerly used by cattle. Birds as the long-tailed manakin, mammals as the lowland paca, reptiles, lots of insects and even several amphibians and orchids are part of this endangered ecosystem.

Education Open Class

Marine Area

The Tamarindo Bay and 12 nautical miles from the coast are being protected from different human activities as industrial fishing. Not only sea turtles use the benthic and neritic systems to move around, it is also used by sharks, sea snakes, rays, cetaceans and even unknown marine fauna. Plastic is unfortunately affecting the total ecosystem, as its impacts does not only go to be eaten by wildlife, also increasing global warming.

Plastic Clean Up Lab

---

Park Regulations*

Please leave your pets at home. Dogs, cats, horses or other domestic animals are not allowed inside the Park.

Want to take something back? Please take trash and no shells, this will leave the beach clean for everyone :)

Remember this is a nesting beach, so the entrance of motor vehicles to the beaches are not allowed.

This is a dry forest, a little spark can create a huge forest fire. Please do not make fire camps or bonfires in the beach.

Sea turtles get easily disoriented. If you are staying in beachfront houses, please use red lights or curtains.

The access to the beach is restricted during the night (6 pm - 5 am) from Oct. 1 - Mar 15.

Commercial, sport or industrial fishing is not allowed inside the park boundaries. Also diving is not permitted.

Reuse, Reduce and Recycle!! Small actions will save a lot of wildlife. Please promote sustainable activities in the world.

Please make any report to +506 2653-0470 ext. 101 or call 1192.

* Regulations based on Executive Decree N° ​36918-MINAET

P976