This past September, we rescued three green sea turtles in need of our help.

It all began when the police brought us two turtles that had been confiscated from the back of a car on their way to Limón. Both had suffered greatly from the stress of capture and transport, overheated, dehydrated, and covered in wounds on their shells and fins, including open injuries. Our veterinary team immediately began treatment to stabilize them, cleaning and disinfecting their wounds and ensuring they were rehydrated.

One of the turtles showed remarkable resilience and, after a week of dedicated care, regained her strength and was able to return to the ocean. The other, however, has been recovering more slowly. She continues to receive specialized care and daily monitoring from our team, who remain hopeful she’ll soon be ready for release.

Just a day after we celebrated the release of the first turtle, MINAE (the Ministry of Environment and Energy) brought us another victim of poaching, another turtle captured to be sold for her meat. She arrived with similar injuries to the previous two but was still strong and active. After a few days of observation and treatment, she was healthy enough to be released back into her natural home, the sea.

Today, one turtle still remains under our care, receiving ongoing treatment to help her heal and rebuild her strength. Every rescue reminds us of the resilience of these animals and the importance of our work.

Sadly, these rescues are a reminder that poaching continues to be a serious threat to sea turtles. Protecting them also means educating communities about the importance of conservation, so that future generations can witness these incredible animals thriving in the wild.