Another few batches of sea turtles have been transplanted into the Playa Nido Turtle Sanctuary. Just out front of the property! Sea turtles crawled their way up to the beaches edge and started to dig their nests. We contribute to sea turtle conservation and rehabilitation at Playa Nido by collecting the eggs and transplanting them into our sanctuary. This way - the eggs are protects from wildlife, poachers, and other harming risks. By doing this, the chances for survival  are greatly increased. 

If watching Sea Turtles hatch and make their way to the ocean is on your bucket list, then Playa Nido is the perfect "off-the-beaten-path" vacation for you! Bring your friends, family, and kids to enjoy this magical event. We have miles of stretches of beach where the magic happens, and it's surrounded by a protect mangrove forest (estuary), low-laying wetlands and tropical rainforests. Making this a wildlife enthusiast's wet dream! 

Sea turtles hatch throughout the year but mostly in summer. Hatchlings use a carbuncle (temporary egg tooth) to help break open the shell. After hatching, the young turtles may take 3 to 7 days to dig their way to the surface. Hatchlings usually wait until night to emerge from the nest. Emerging at night reduces exposure to daytime predators. Studies have shown that some nests will produce hatchlings on more than one night.

There are several theories as to how hatchlings find the sea:
- Hatchlings may discriminate light intensities and head for the greater light intensity of the open horizon.
- During the crawl to the sea, the hatchling may set an internal magnetic compass, which it uses for navigation away from the beach.
- When a hatchling reaches the surf, it dives into a wave and rides the undertow out to sea.
- A "swim frenzy" of continuous swimming takes place for about 24 to 48 hours after the hatchling enters the water.
- This frantic activity gets the young turtle into deeper water, where it is less vulnerable to predators.
- There have been reports of swimming hatchlings diving straight down when birds and even airplanes appear overhead. This diving behavior may be a behavioral adaptation for avoiding predation by birds. 
- Past the surf zone, hatchlings use their internal magnetic compass for orientation.

After entering the ocean, the hatchlings of many species of sea turtles are rarely seen for 1 to 3 years. These are referred to as the “lost years.” Researchers generally agree that most hatchlings spend their first few years living an oceanic existence before appearing in coastal areas. Although the migratory patterns of the young turtles during the first year has long been a puzzle, most researchers believe that they ride prevailing surface currents, situating themselves in floating seaweed where they are can find food. Research suggests that flatback hatchlings do not go through an oceanic phase. Evidence shows that the young turtles remain inshore following the initial swim frenzy. Most remain within 15 km (9.3 miles) of land.

Mangroves are incredibly productive coastal ecosystems found in the tropics and subtropics. These dense green forests are known for their bizarre-looking roots that poke up into the air from shallow water. Among the meshed webs of roots are fish nurseries, enabling humans to make a living from the marine life in and around the mangroves.

Mangroves also play another important role for humans, protecting communities from major storms. Climate change is more than rising temperatures, and the increased frequency and intensity of cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons is apparent. Cyclone Fani for example, which recently struck the Bay of Bengal, was one of the strongest to devastate India in the past 20 years.

Mangrove roots can break up the force of a storm surge, soaking up some of its energy and protecting people living on coasts from cyclone damage. Yet it is a challenge to effectively value and protect individual mangrove ecosystems. And we just don’t have the people or funds to deliver detailed studies for even a fraction of the villages and towns sheltered by mangroves.

Reliable global rule of thumbThat is where we need a global rule of thumb that can be applied anywhere. It needs to be rigorously evidenced, and trusted enough for economic values to be used in planning calculations by governments and financial institutions. This is provided for coastal mangrove protection by an innovative new study in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Mangrove protection from cyclones also reduces longer term deterioration of low-lying inland areas with rising sea levels. Storm surges and flooding from cyclones, which deposit salts, are greater without mangrove protection. In Bangladesh, for example, rice agriculture is increasingly impossible as fields are flooded with seawater. One way communities are adapting is to shift production to shrimp farms. Booming shrimp aquaculture, however, ironically requires further mangrove clearance to create space – as seen graphically in Sri Lanka. Loss of mangrove protection from cyclones then worsens coastal deterioration.

Mangroves aren’t only lost to aquaculture, or harvested for wood, however. Mangroves are strongly affected, for example, by polluted freshwater flowing to the coast. 
Playa Nido is fortunate enough to have a protected mangrove estuary on one side of the property where guests can take boat tours to view and explore the mangroves. Make sure to bring some bananas for the ride because you will run into our friendly monkey neighbors! Learn more about our boat tours here.

Grounding, or ‘earthing,’ as some people call it, involves placing your feet directly on the ground without shoes or socks as a barrier - hello barefoot walks on the beach! The logic behind this practice relates to the intense negative charge carried by the Earth. This charge is electron-rich, theoretically serving as a good supply of antioxidants and free radical destroying electrons.

According to Dr. James Oschman, a PhD in biology from the University of Pittsburgh and an expert in the field of energy medicine, “Subjective reports that walking barefoot on the Earth enhances health and provides feelings of well-being can be found in the literature and practices of diverse cultures from around the world. For a variety of reasons, many individuals are reluctant to walk outside barefoot, unless they are on holiday at the beach.”

It makes sense if you think about it; in our most natural state, we wouldn’t have anything covering our feet. Putting your feet on the ground enables you to absorb negative electrons through the soles of your feet, and this can help to align your body to the same negatively charged electrical potential as the Earth.

The Science
A study published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health titled “Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth’s Surface Electrons” postulates that earthing could represent a potential treatment for a variety of chronic degenerative diseases.

It concluded that simple contact with the earth, through being either outside barefoot or indoors connected to grounded conductive systems, could serve as a natural and “profoundly effective environmental strategy” against chronic stress, ANS dysfunction, inflammation, pain, poor sleep, disturbed HRV, hyper-coagulable blood, and many common health disorders, including cardiovascular disease: “The research done to date supports the concept that grounding or earthing the human body may be an essential element in the health equation along with sunshine, clean air and water, nutritious food, and physical activity.”

Another study, conducted by the Department of Neurosurgery from the Military Clinical Hospital in Powstancow, Warszawy, along with other affiliates like the Poland Medical University, found that blood urea concentrations are lower in subjects who are earthed (connected to the earth potential with the use of copper wire) during physical exercise and that earthing during exercise resulted in improved exercise recovery.

It concluded:
These results suggest that earthing during exercise inhibits hepatic protein catabolism or increases renal urea excretion. Earthing during exercise affects protein metabolism, resulting in a positive nitrogen balance. This phenomenon has fundamental importance in understanding human metabolic processes and may have implications in training programs for athletes.

A study published last year from the Developmental and Cell Biology Department at the University of California at Irvine found that grounding the human body improves facial blood flow regulation.
As mentioned earlier, studies have also found grounding to reduce blood viscosity, a major factor in cardiovascular disease.

One study, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine,even concluded that earthing may be “the primary factor regulating the endocrine and nervous system.”  

According to a review published in the Journal of Inflammation Research:  
Grounding reduces or even prevents the cardinal signs of inflammation following injury: redness, heat, swelling, pain, and loss of function (Figures 1 and 2). Rapid resolution of painful chronic inflammation was confirmed in 20 case studies using medical infrared imaging (Figure 3). . . . Our main hypothesis is that connecting the body to the Earth enables free electrons from the Earth’s surface to spread over and into the body, where they can have antioxidant effects. Specifically, we suggest that mobile electrons create an antioxidant microenvironment around the injury repair field, slowing or preventing reactive oxygen species (ROS) delivered by the oxidative burst from causing “collateral damage” to healthy tissue, and preventing or reducing the formation of the so-called “inflammatory barricade”. We also hypothesize that electrons from the Earth can prevent or resolve so-called “silent” or “smoldering” inflammation.

Dozens of studies confirm the physiological effects of grounding, which include anything from anti-aging and heart health benefits to improved sleep and much, much more.

“This simple process of grounding is one of the most potent antioxidants we know of. Grounding has been shown to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, improve sleep, enhance well being, and much, much more. Unfortunately, many living in developed countries are rarely grounded anymore.” – Dr Jospeh Mercola (source)

When grounded, the diurnal rhythm of the stress hormone cortisol begins to normalize. Cortisol is connected to your body’s stress response and helps control blood sugar levels, regulate metabolism, and reduce inflammation. The figure below shows the results of a study that examined the effects of being grounded while sleeping over the course of eight weeks.

How You Can Get Grounded
We all spend most of our time walking on the earth wearing shoes with rubber or plastic soles. These materials are insulators, and accordingly we use them to insulate electrical wires. They also disconnect you from the Earth’s electron flow, which we are supposed to be connected to. However, if you wear leather soled shoes (or vegan leather!) or walk barefoot on sand, grass, soil, concrete, or ceramic tile, you will be grounded. If you walk on asphalt, wood, rubber, plastic, vinyl, tar, or tarmac, you will not be grounded.

So the next time you are outside, take off your shoes! You can also use conductive systems while sleeping, working, or spending time indoors for a more convenient and lifestyle-friendly approach.

Schuman Resonance
In 1952, German physicist Professor W.O. Schumann of the Technical University of Munich began attempting to answer whether the Earth itself has a frequency — a pulse. His assumption about the existence of this frequency came from his understanding that when a sphere exists inside of another sphere, an electrical tension is created. Since the negatively charged earth exists inside the positively charged ionosphere, there must be tension between the two, giving the Earth a specific frequency. Following his assumptions, through a series of calculations he was able to land upon a frequency he believed was the pulse of the Earth. This frequency was 10hz.

It wasn’t until 1954 that Schumann teamed up with another scientist, Herbert König, and confirmed that the resonance of the Earth maintained a frequency of 7.83 Hz. This discovery was later tested and verified by other scientists. Since then, the Schumann Resonance has been the accepted term used scientifically to describe or measure the pulse of the Earth.

Even though the existence of the Schumann Resonance is an established scientific fact, there are few scientists who fully understand the important relationship between this frequency and life on the planet. Source: www.collective-evolution.com Read the full article here. 

Sea Turtles lay eggs on beaches on both the Pacific and Caribbean shores of Costa Rica every month of the year which in turn means hatchlings are emerging somewhere every day.  Some species spend most of their lives far out to sea but others are commonly seen by divers and snorkelers around the popular island and reef dive sites, especially during nesting or hatching peaks. If you’ve always wanted to see & help sea turtles book a trip to Playa Nido and join us in saving the sea turtles. 

Our team dug out a safe area and filled it with sand from the beach to better accommodate the turtle's natural environment. Adding a fence for protection from wildlife is crucial to the baby turtle's survival. 

When Is The Best Time To Visit Costa Rica?
​We'll get right to the point: There is no "bad time" to visit Costa Rica. Being close to the equator, our tropical paradise is bathed in sun almost year-round and temperatures are very comfortable. Costa Rica is a tropical country and has distinct wet and dry seasons. However, some regions are rainy all year, and others are very dry and sunny for most of the year. Temperatures vary primarily with elevations, not with seasons: On the coasts, it’s hot all year; in the mountains, it can be cool at night any time of year. Generally, the rainy season (or “green season”) is from May to mid-November in most of the country, with notable exceptions on the Caribbean coast. Costa Ricans call this wet time of year their winter. The dry season, considered summer by Costa Ricans, is from mid-November to April. Even in the rainy season, days often start sunny, with rain falling in the afternoon and evening. You’ll be satisfied no matter what time of year you visit, but there are certain characteristics that define each season here.

​The best time to visit Costa Rica depends on what you and your family/friends want to experience. The most popular time of year to visit Costa Rica is in December and January, but we promise you will enjoy it no matter what time of year!

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Top Tips For Planning Your Costa Rica Trip
Costa Rica has quickly emerged as the top vacation destinations. If you’re reading this post, it is likely that you’re planning a trip to Costa Rica.  To get you started, here are a few things you need to know before traveling to Costa Rica. 

No Spanish? No Problem!
English is widely used in most tourist destinations. Having said that, it is always useful to know some Spanish. The Spanish phrase you will hear a lot in Costa Rica is: Pura Vida. It means “pure life,” but it is commonly used to mean hello, goodbye, and everything’s great. Remember that!

No Need To Exchange Colones Beforehand
US dollars are widely accepted in Costa Rica, especially at hotels, restaurants, and tour agencies. Even at local supermarkets! So there is absolutely no need to exchange Costa Rican Colones in advance.
If you need Colones, go to the banks for the best exchange rates. Or, pay in USD at restaurants or supermarkets and get the change back in Colones.
Pro tip: Remember to keep some money for the tolls if you plan to drive.  You will encounter toll booths on your way to Playa Nido. 

Visit During Rainy Season
Most people choose to travel to Costa Rica during the dry season (December-April) so that they can enjoy the nice sunny weather. But that comes with a price – it’s busy and expensive.
Why not visit during the rainy season (May-November) instead? It still is sunny during the day and there typically showers late in the day.  You’ll be rewarded with thinner crowds, greener landscapes, cooler temperatures and cheaper rates! Also, tours run year round. Even for whale watching and turtle nesting tours! 

Allow More Than One Week In Costa Rica
​Costa Rica may look small on the map, but don’t let its small size fool you. There are so many places to see and adventures to be had – from zip-lining, mangrove and monkey tours, fishing, and more!  Enjoy our gorgeous beaches, unique mangroves, extraordinary wildlife, lush rainforests and active volcanoes. It feels impossible to see Costa Rica in merely a week. Our advice is: plan a 2 week trip. 

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