Posts tagged Sea Turtles
Retiring in Nicaragua – The Natural Wonders of Sea Turtles
Sep 11th
An undeniable benefit of investing in real estate in Nicaragua or retiring to Nicaragua is the opportunity to witness natural events that simply do not commonly exist in North America. Several beaches in Nicaragua, both on the Pacific and the Caribbean Coasts, are among the few sites in the world where sea turtles arrive – sometimes in fantastic numbers exceeding one thousand – to lay their eggs. This interesting event is called arribadas and occurs several times per year.
Throughout the whole world, there are only seven species of sea turtles in existence. Five of those seven species are present in Nicaragua including the Green Turtle, the Hawksbill Turtle, the Leatherback Turtle, the Loggerhead Turtle, and the Olive Ridley Turtle. Sadly, each of these turtles have been placed on the endangered species list or the critically endangered species list.
The most common turtle on the Pacific beaches of Nicaragua is the Olive Ridley Turtle. The Leatherback Turtle and the Hawksbill Turtle, however, can also be found here in much smaller numbers.
On the Pacific Coast, the major problem threatening sea turtles is the commercial consumption of turtle eggs. The coastal dwellers have found an additional food source in the eggs and more significantly they found there was a very high demand for the eggs. The turtle eggs are easily sold to seafood restaurants or simply to people on the street.
At the beaches of La Flor and Chacocente, the regulated protection of the turtles and turtle eggs is managed by organizations like the Cocibolca Foundation as well as the Nicaraguan Army. At these sites tenuous agreements have been made with the local residents which stipulate that the residents can take a certain number of eggs in exchange for collaboration regarding the protection of the sea turtle nests.
Environmentally sensitive tours to La Flor to watch the arribadas can be easily arranged in colourful and charming village of San Juan del Sur. San Juan del Sur is quickly becoming a popular real estate investment destination amongst retiring baby boomers.
For more information on investing in or retiring to Nicaragua please visit Nicaragua Real Estate.
Scuba Diving and Dive Shops in Nicaragua
Jan 20th
If you’re a scuba diver, then Nicaragua is a must stop in Central America!
There are so many incredibly idyllic places, both deep and shallow, that will leave even the most adventuresome and well-traveled divers in absolute awe.
Diving in Little Corn Island, Nicaragua
If you want to experience scuba diving in a place where the cruise ships and fishing boats haven’t set anchor on every reef , a place where the shoreline isn’t riddled with tourist and weekend pic-nic warriors, then Little Corn Island is the perfect place for you.
At less than 20 square kilometers in area, it’s still one of the largest islands in this hidden paradise.
The locals are descendants of British settlers and English is the main local language.
This gem is located just fifty miles off the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua; Little Corn Island is a step back to the good times of diving.
With an extremely rich and diverse marine life, it’s literary a slice of heaven for any sport diver.
We were in the water for just under an hour and we came across sea turtles, hammerheads, eagle rays, giant grouper and a bunch of other interesting creatures both big and small.
Eels lie in wait amongst the coral and sea sponges and the numerous caves that can be found here are teaming with over a 1,000 species of underwater life.
“Dive Little Corn” Scuba shop is the first thing you see when you get off the panga in Little Corn, it’s not the most professionally run businesses in all of Nicaragua, but it’s pretty par with what we’ve come to expect in such a remote location. I for one was glad to see it…
Their services include daily morning and afternoon dives for novice through advanced divers, night dives by appointment, hourly and all-day snorkel trips, PADI certification courses, and kayak rentals.
Most dives around the island are shallow, but there are a few deeper dives that are more than 100 feet. Little Corn’s reef system is unique not only for its healthy abundance of wildlife, but also for its coral formations.
If you come in a large group and not everyone is into diving, you could also try kayaking and canoeing.
Lake Nicaragua is one of the most pristine lakes for kayaking, it’s super calm almost every afternoon and the scenery is second to none.
Diving at Morgan’s Rock Nicaragua
Another famous place for divers is San Juan del Sur, at Morgan’s Rock.Although I haven’t had the chance to dive this location myself, I have heard nothing but good things about it.
Here, certified scuba divers will show you the magnificent underwater life. You will be amazed by the beauty of the plants and the animals that have made Morgan’s Rock their home.
Here are some of the best scuba diving centers in Nicaragua. These centers will assure you an adventure worth experiencing.
Oceanica Dive Center: This center is located in Las Cruces
Dive Nautilus: This center is located in Albuquerque
Dive Little Corn: This center is located in Albuquerque
Abucear: This center is located in San Juan del Sur
Pro Diver: This center is located in Las Cruces
Here’s a link to a site that rates dive shops all over the world and has a few more links and ratings to dive shops in Nicaragua:
Scuba Linx: http://www.scubalinx.com/central_america/nicaragua/nicaragua_dive_centers.html
