Punta Banco

Punta Banco is a small remote village on Costa Rica’s southern Pacific coast, 65km south of Golfito. PRETOMA began a sea turtle conservation project in Punta Banco after an initial study carried out in 1995 indicated that between 100-250 sea turtles nest there each season (July-Dec). The olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) is by far the most common turtle, although it is also possible to observe the sporadic nesting of other species of sea turtles including hawksbills (Eretmochelis imbricatta) and greens (Chelonia mydas). Punta Banco is the longest continuously monitored olive ridley nesting beach in the world.

You can participate in this project as a volunteer (15 July-15-December) or as a field coordinator or assistant (July-December).

History

Since 1996, PRETOMA has collaborated with international participants and community members to monitor sea turtle nesting activity and operate a hatchery to guarantee the efficient protection of nests and ensure the maximum production of sea turtle hatchlings. Our most recent community report can be downloaded.
Since the project was initiated in 1996, international and local participants have tagged, measured, and protected thousands of turtles. As a result, more than 65,000 hatchlings have been protected and released to the sea, and the poaching rates in Punta Banco have dropped from almost 100% to around 10%!

Project Site

This small town of approximately 200 inhabitants is located on the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica and is nestled between stretches of virgin rain forest and beautiful black sand beaches. Punta Banco has a school, a church, and some wooden houses that surround a soccer field.  It also has two small mini-marts (“pulperias”) and two simple restaurants (“sodas”), as well as potable water, electricity, one or two television sets, and recently installed private telephones at the “sodas”.

The area is home to an extraordinary array of natural beauty and has become quite a desired destination for nature lovers. One can enjoy hiking through the rainforest or exploring the various nearby waterfalls. Local wildlife includes monkeys (howler, white face capuchin, squirrel), birds (tangara, scarlet macaw, toucan, woodpecker, white falcon, and more), sloths, lizards, green iguanas, frogs (poison dart frog), etc. Just a few of the activities available include visiting tide pools, walking on impressive rainforest trails, horseback riding, surfing, and hanging out in a hammock.

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