In Nicaragua you will get the unique chance to visit a turtle hatchery, where you can be a part of freeing baby turtles in the sea to help the endangered turtles. The baby turtles are endangered because many people go hunting for the eggs and sell them, as turtle eggs are viewed as a rare and exclusive meal by some people.

The turtle hatcheries collect turtle eggs, and take care of them until the baby turtles are ready for the ocean.

There are several hatcheries you can visit, and Kulturstudier sometimes organizes group trips to the hatcheries so you can go there with the other students.

You will have to wear gloves to pick up and release the baby turtles. This is because the remains of sunscreen, mosquito repellent, soap and other things that might be on your hands can hurt the baby turtles.

Unfortunately, not all the baby turtles survive when they are out in the water due to predators etc. With this in mind, the hatcheries frees a large amount of baby turtles so that more than a few survive.

When it is time to release them in the ocean, the workers at the hatchery bring a bucket full of baby turtles to the waterfront. Then, you pick up the baby turtles, let them go a few meters from the water, and watch them slowly making their way out in the ocean, one by one.

-Martin-