May 12

Webmaster's note: The research team in Costa Rica is encountering difficulties sending their reports, and especially their photographs, from the field. They're working on the problem and hope to be able to send photos soon.

Saturday was an easy day. We spent most of the morning collecting water samples. This afternoon we relaxed and prepared field notes and photos. We are having technical problems transmitting images and will probably have to send the rest when we get to San Jose later this week. We are getting some wonderful pictures that we are eager to share.

13 May

ISEM file photo.

The rangers told us of a green turtle carcass from a jaguar kill two days ago. We got up early this morning and caught a ride out to the site, around mile 10, to do the collection.

We got the humeri from a HUGE green turtle. The cat had drug it only about a meter or so into the brush so it really wasn't too bad crawling into the forest. This turtle was just too big to drag out to the beach, as we were able to do last year. So we had to ward off the buzzards and really work fast. Unfortunately, our knives just don't hold an edge long. Kent had them all sharpened up for us before he left, but It still took a while to cut the flippers off. The flies were nasty, not the mention the smell! Then we had to cut the humerus from the rest of the flipper, but that we did on the beach. We buried the bones once we returned to the station so that they will be easy to clean when we get back on Friday. Hard work in the tropical heat!

The sun was high and bright and we are both burned to a crisp. Diana spent the rest of the day surveying old nests and measuring beach erosion for a new study mapped out with Dr. Jacobs during his welcome but brief visit last week. In the evening we packed and prepared for tomorrow's journey to the Pacuare Reserve. We will be there for a few days collecting bones, barnacles, and water samples.

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