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The teenage olive ridley sea turtle was just 15 years old as she waited 500 yards offshore in the warm, tropical eastern Pacific ocean off Ostional Beach in a small land that, more than 500 years earlier, Christopher Columbus had discovered and named “Costa Rica”, the “rich coast.”

The nearly daily afternoon tropical rains of November had slipped away as the marine turtle waited in anticipation. The moon was in its final quarter and, though she did not know why, it was having an effect on her.

As it has done for uncountable eons, the moon was gracing the earth with its timeless phases. Though she could not know it, it was drawing this olive ridley turtle ashore. She was not alone. At first, a few yards away, another Pacific sea turtle joined her, then a third, followed by a dozen, then hundreds, thousands, now tens of thousands of marine sea turtles. For more than 100,000,000 years it had been thus: vast migrations of ancient creatures, culminating when the moon was in this phase.

Life is always magical. Just a few months earlier, this turtle was foraging in the middle of the Pacific Ocean more than 2,500 miles away. And the tens of thousands now alongside her were scattered across several million square miles of ocean.

Although there was plenty of food far out in the Pacific, something had begun to stir within her. Hundreds of thousands of marine turtles felt the same timeless need to return to Costa Rica. They, and she, were all going back to where they had hatched.

Now, months later, she waited in the soft moonlight just a few hundred meters from her destination. She was ready. Over the thousands of miles she had traversed, she had encountered several different male olive ridley sea turtles in the clear tropical waters and bred with them in the deep ocean. Like her, they too were being affected by something unseen, a force nearly as old as life itself. It was something so compelling that her species had been going back to the same Costa Rica beach since the days of dinosaurs.

In the tropical night this olive ridley sea turtle was waiting. She had somehow returned to the very beach where she had hatched in 1995. We do not know how a Pacific marine turtle finds the exact beach where she started life. There are only a handful of nesting beaches on earth and they are not very big. In fact Ostional Beach is only a few hundred meters long. Now part of Costa Rica’s Ostional National Wildlife Refuge, it is almost certainly the most important olive ridley marine turtle nesting site on earth. Incredibly, in 1995, the year this turtle hatched, some half a million female olive pacific sea turtles had come ashore to nest here in huge waves. These massive invasions are called “arribadas.”

For fifteen years, the mother of this hundred pound marine turtle joined massive Costa Rica arribadas annually and she would have done so again except that she drowned in an illegal shrimping net just a few weeks before. Thousands more were killed by long line commercial fishermen. Even more died needlessly by swallowing plastic bags carelessly discarded. So many have been killed, the race is endangered.

Of course, the hundreds of thousands of olive ridleys just offshore know none of this. In the tropical pale moonlight, we can see them even though they are still half a mile away. There are now so many gathered that it almost seems one could walk on their backs for at least a mile and never get a wet foot. We can only gaze in wonder and awe as they gather silently. These ancient beings will never know that they were here long before there was a dinosaur walking the earth. They cannot appreciate our capacity for destruction or efforts at preservation. They only know that this little stretch of beach is where they’ve always come.

Then, though no one knows why, it happens. As quietly as they first appeared, as silently as they gathered, their patience has been rewarded and they begin to come ashore. A single olive ridley turtle followed by a second. Then there are hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands—even more than that—each intent on one task: bringing new life. All night they come. And all day, day after day. It is a wonder of magnificent Costa Rica and as timeless as the phases of the moon. It is the spectacular display of life called Arribada.

A Costa Rica scientific fin and satellite tagging project recently got underway at Cocos Island studying its green sea turtle and hawksbill visitors.

Conservation organizations and marine researchers spent about 30 hours going to the island in their pursuit for more knowledge about these ancient marine animals.

They are engaged in a kind of scientific working Costa Rica vacation that they anticipate will contribute to preserving these marvelous reptilian mariners now endangered in much of their range.

Cocos Island was described by the famous seaman, Jacque Cousteau, as the most beautiful island he had ever encountered. The small island, just nine square miles in area, lies some 340 miles off the Pacific shoreline of Costa Rica, almost halfway to the Galapagos Islands.

It was not the tropical sunsets and beaches that captured the imagination of Captain Cousteau. Its beauty is just off its shores, under water, in a place that Costa Ricans have voted as one of the Seven Wonders of Costa Rica. It is there that one finds priceless treasure: vast schools of fish, porpoises, whales and turtles.

Since the days of dinosaurs sea turtles have swum the Seven Seas of the world.

The mighty Tyrannosaurus fed on them more than 200 million years ago as they paddled ashore to lay their eggs on ancient beaches.

These ancient beings roam all the planet’s seas except the frozen Antarctic and Arctic.

Sadly , no more. Today, our indiscriminate development of beaches and plundering of their nests have put them at risk. Millions have been in South America to make expensive shoes for Europeans.

Jacque Yves Cousteau presciently remarked that: “If we go on the way we have, the fault is our greed and if we are not willing to change, we will disappear from the face of the globe, to be replaced by the insect.” A being visiting from another galaxy might conclude that such a result would be just.

But, conservation organizations have not given up and are working to restore at least some turtle populations. Scientists are now tagging pelagic turtles like the green sea turtle in far-away places like Cocos Island. Some turtles are fitted with flipper tags while others bear satellite transmitters to help track their movements and it has been discovered that some species roam across thousands and thousands of miles of oceans, from tropical waters to the deep waters off Canada.

We cannot undo the past but the men and women who tag sea turtles know that we do not have to be doomed to repeat it.

The writer, Victor Krumm, lives in tropical Costa Rica. Follow his fun site Costa Rica Vacations and for info about great beaches check out Costa Rica Beaches

Going out fishing is fun and one that enables you to relax. There are people who want to experience fishing, but cannot afford all the gear needed for their adventure. Though there are a lot fishing stores, many will try to sell unnecessary fishing gear to gain more from the innocence of the fishing novice. This is a list of the most basic things you’ll want to purchase for any kind of fishing no matter where you go.

Hooks - These come in a variety different types, forms, and shapes with the vast majority shaped as if they were the letter J and are imperative parts of your fishing gear. Hooks are cheap so you could easily purchase a library of different hooks for many different types of fishing.

Rigs - Rigs are commonly employed for the catching of different types as well as species of different fish the most common are the Bobber and the Crappie. Bobbers work well for Bluegill fishing making them perfect for novices.

Sinkers - Just as the name implies this gear is used to cast light lures to bring the bait down to the bottom of the water where the fish are located. Together with the bobbers, the purpose of sinkers is to hold your line at any given point. In all tackle-stores you will find many different types and brand of sinkers that are available in many sizes, and shapes. The current speed and how deep the water is will assist you in determining the weight of the sinkers you’ll need for your adventure.

Bobber - Also known as a cork or a float. The purpose of the bobber is to let you know when a fish bites your bait with the most commonly used bobbers is the pencil, and slip. They are provided in a multitude of sizes so that they’ll suit many types of bait and sinkers the best ones though are the ones smaller ones. The wind would return the bobber back to you if it were light and would spook the fish if it were larger than necessary.

Swivels - This kind of fishing equipment is brought out if you are fishing using bait a spinner or minnow. Baits like this tend to twist and turn, which would probably leave your line deformed but by using the swivel and attaching it twixt the line and bait it would allow the lure to spin around and keep the line from becoming tangled. Swivels are affordable and come in different sizes to work best with the bait and hooks you have.

Other supplies you’ll want to invest in ares are the tackle box and your bait, which varies depending on the type of fishing you wish to perform. Now that you’ve been educated some fishing basics you could easily have an enjoyable fishing trip which is affordable and is safe.

Never have Cuba holidays been so popular among holiday makers until recent years, especially after its government opened its doors to tourism and foreign investment. For some this amazing Caribbean island is a must in the agenda of most interesting places in the world.

It is all about knowing where to go, what to see and which locations to perhaps combine to get the most out of your experience in Cuba. This island is so reach in cultural, history, architecture and nature that there it has the ideal recipe for an unforgettable holiday.

Lets look at places like Varadero, Jibacoa, Guardalavaca, cayo Coco, Cayo Largo, Cayo Santa Maria and so many other beach destinations with white sandy beaches and turquoise color waters. To chose among all of them could be a difficult task. Some places like Varadero are better in terms of infrastructure and things you can do out side your hotel while the rest are more for the purpose of pure relaxation.

Vi?ales Valley located in Pinar del Rio province enjoys by far the most astonishing landscapes of Cuba. It is also famous for its tobacco plantations responsible for the best cigars in the World.

Baracoa in the eastern most part of Cuba is one of the most charismatic villages in Cuba from the Spanish Colonial Times. Its mountainous surroundings make it also ideal for those who enjoy direct contact with nature.

Havana has to be my favourite place. Not only was I born in Havana and know it quite well, I can say with confidence that I have walked every corner of this amazing City. You have to visit Havana if you really want to feel you have been to Cuba. I particularly recommend the Old Town area to stay and the night clubs of Vedado neighborhood.

You can put together as many locations as it make sense depending on your on time and travel distances in between places. Of course the budget is determinant in deciding what to see. Cuba is a large island and sometimes you have to travel 6 hours on the road to go from A to B and that comes at a high price.

Some think that Cuba might change in the next couple of years. I personally have been hearing this same thing for the past 20 years and Cuba still remains the same defiant and beautiful country. However it is important to highlight that in the past few years the expectation of a change has increased. My advice is not to leave your visit for too late or you might miss have a century of history and culture.

Fishing may be a pastime for some, but a sporting activity for others. of course you have to have the correct support system in place. here are some points for you to consider. When you are starting to get ready, the first thought that comes to mind, is which could be the best way to get across to the water. These are good but surely not amongst the best forms of transport. The biggest problem with canoes is that they are wobbly in water and weak in the face of wind, but it is good to use for paddling to reach some secret spots where fish remain undetected.

A motor-less rowboat is the best since it allows you to stand up to cast. For short distances, row the boat to reach the fishing spot; for longer distances keep a small trolling motor with you. If you wish to fish in big lakes or rivers, choose a boat with high sides so as to remain secure against large waves.

Fishing beside a lake requires special footwear. re not wading. Though chest and hip waders are all time favorites to wade through streams, you could also use hip boots. Tight fitting chest and hip waders should be avoided as they can cause great discomfort to your leg mobility.

Wear a proper jacket, which is available in two lengths Long and Short. The long jacket is usually worn to wade through shallow water or while fishing from a boat. If you are planning to use chest waders, it is recommended you use a short jacket since the bottom of a long jacket would drag in the water. To carry lure and other necessities, wear a jacket with multiple pockets. So a hat with a visor is a good idea.

The avid angler has three stashes of lure and tackle-box containers: The first stash is for the home stockpile, the second and larger one for the boat, and a third stash is for the car. Coverage from loss or any accident can be ensured with this. This would keep you prepared even when you go to fish at night.

With the right fishing accessories and gear, you can turn your fishing experience into a better one. You would never want a situation where you are missing the right catch simply because you do not have the right equipment by your side. Having the right gear and equipment is critical if you want to make the most of your fishing experience.