Isla de Cañas is the most important nesting site for sea turtles
on Panama ’s Pacific coast. Five species come here. By far the
most numerous is the olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), the
smallest of the turtles that come to Panama, weighing in at
about 35–45 kilograms and with a shell about 70 centimeters
long. The second-most frequent visitor is the Pacific green
(Chelonia mydas), followed, in very limited numbers, by the
loggerhead (Caretta caretta), leatherback (Dermochelys
coriacea), and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata). To make
things confusing, the green turtle is known colloquially in
Panama as the tortuga negra (black turtle) and the olive ridley
as the tortuga mulata (mulatto turtle). Every year 20,000–30,000
turtles show up to lay their eggs in successive waves, which
makes for a spectacular sight if you time a visit right. That’s
not necessarily an easy thing to do, since no one seems to agree
on the best time to come. Visitors should be able to see the
best action between September and Novem