In a personal account, Smithsonian photographer Laurie Minor-Penland describes her trip to photograph nesting endangered Green Sea Turtles and the nearby tropical rainforest.
Located between the Tortuguero River and Caribbean Sea, is a very small village. This is Tortuguero. In five minutes you can walk from one side of the village to the other on a dirt path.
There are no cars. But there are many dugout canoes, some with motors attached and others with only paddles.
To the south of town is The Tortuguero National Park, established in 1970. 
This park protects over 350 species of birds and mammals, including endagered species such as Green Macaws, Jaguars, and many of our Sea Turtles. I was fortunate to be in Toruguero the first summer that the hunting of the green turtle had become totally illegal. (Previous seasons had allowed for limited hunting with specified permits). The Park is responsible for policing the beaches and enforcing the law. The turtle shown in this image is being released into the water after being rescued from poachers by the park police.
To the north is a variety of lodging for tourists. Here they offer wonderful meals, transportation and contacts with the local guides who offer a night of adventure on the beach in search of nesting turtles.
A short boat ride to the north brings you to the headquarters of the Caribbean Conservation Corperation (CCC).
CCC was created by Dr. Archie Carr who is known for The Windward Road, a book which made Tortuguero and its turtles famous worldwide. CCC has been instrumental in saving the turtles in many ways. It is a not-for-profit corporation funded by grants and donations. Its work in Tortuguero includes a major turtle tagging program which helps track the turtles' travels and nesting activities.
Beyond the CCC research station is the mouth of Rio Tortuguero and the Tortuguero Mountain. The river runs on one side of the strip of land where the CCC headquarters and the village are located. On the other side is the ocean. The beach, where the turtles nest, runs from the mountain south to the Tortuguero National Park.
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