Join a magnificent sea turtles' journey!
Sea turtles are generally solitary creatures that remain submerged for much of the time they are at sea, which makes them extremely difficult to study. They rarely interact with one another outside of courtship and mating. Because of the difficulty in studying marine turtles in the open ocean, there are a great many things still unknown about their behavior. Decades of research, however, have produced useful insights into daily activities and behaviors!
Sea turtles are known to feed and rest off and on during a typical day. During nesting season, research conducted in the southeast United States helped discovered that loggerheads follow regular patterns between the nesting beach itself and offshore reefs and other rocky structures.
When it is not nesting season, sea turtles may migrate hundreds or even thousands of miles. Sea turtles can sleep at the surface while in deep water or on the bottom wedged under rocks in nearshore waters. Many divers have seen green turtles sleeping under ledges in reefs and rocks.
Our custom-built expedition yacht «Kurosio» will carry us through the world's oceans for three years. The
places we sail to will take our breath away with their beauty, or with their danger. The use of the most
cutting-edge technology will give us the opportunity to scrutinize turtles in their natural glory. Our
experiences will be broadcast all over the world, encouraging everyone to embark on their own journey of
discovery.This in-depth exploration of the Earth's oceans will uncover how our actions affect the delicate
balance within the world's ecosystems.
Flatback
Green turtle
Olive Ridley
Six of the species are classified in the Family Cheloniidae. This family includes the hawksbill, green, flatback, loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, and olive ridley turtles. These all look fairly similar when compared to the seventh species, the leatherback. The leatherback is the only sea turtle species in its own family, Dermochelyidae, and looks very different from the other species.
Hawksbill
Loggerhead
Kemp's ridley
Leatherback
Kurosio Expedition is an unprecedented interdisciplinary journey through the world’s oceans. Over the three years that we spend circumnavigating the Earth, we will venture through uncharted waters, studying kinds of sea turtles. Exploration and science lie at the core of our mission. Its fuel is the passion and professionalism of our stellar team. Its tools are ultra-contemporary and custom-built for our unique purposes.
Every scientific mission needs a focal point, an ultimate question it seeks to answer. We have drawn our purpose from wonder and awe. We intend to make Kurosio Expedition a global exploration of sea turtles. These reptiles that float through the waves are identified by leading contemporary marine scientists as a significant research interest in biology. A lot of known about them. Turtles are difficult to study in laboratories, since collecting them is a challenging task.
We'll pick you up at Sandino International Airport near Managua and take you to a simple guesthouse in a safe part of the city. Dinner at the guesthouse is included.
After breakfast, hop on our private van and head to the northwest corner of the country to the Padre Ramos Estuary (5 hour drive), home to one of the most important hawksbill turtle nesting beaches in the America's. Along the way, you'll stop in the historic colonial town of Leon for lunch. After lunch, complete the drive to Padre Ramos and arrive in time for an orientation and a swim in the beautiful estuary to cool off. That evening, head out to the beach to look for hawksbills and olive ridley sea turtles. You'll be staying at the Fauna & Flora Nicaragua research station, a house on the estuary, where you will share a room with up to 3 people (of the same sex). Private rooms are available for couples.
This morning, head out into the estuary to capture and study juvenile hawksbills and then release them. Later, you’ll meet with local researchers to learn about the project and be trained how to do the data collection. Then visit to one of the hawksbill hatcheries; with luck there will be some hatchlings to release to the water. That evening, you will head out with researchers to patrol one of the nesting beaches around the estuary.
A local guide will take you out for an optional kayaking tour this morning around the estuary to look for birds, flying fish, and turtle heads popping up out of the water (* tour not included in trip price). After lunch, you’ll attend a presentation on mangroves and participate in a reforestation project. That evening, you’ll head out again to patrol the beaches and study the hawksbills.
Learn about the threats facing sea turtles on this day. First you’ll see a presentation about how plastic affects turtles and a workshop on how to recycle plastic bags into souvenirs. Later, you’ll participate in a beach clean-up. Tonight’s turtle patrol will be optional, to allow a break for those who need it.
In the morning, our partners will organize a community volunteer activity (specific activity TBD depending on the current needs of the community). The afternoon will be free to explore, swim, or relax and get ready to head home. Following a final celebratory dinner, head out for your final night patrol to look for hawksbills.
