Tambor Bay Turtles (TBT) was founded in 2015 as an initiative of a group of people who live here and want to protect the remaining Olive Ridley sea turtle that lay their eggs on the beaches around Tambor Bay.

In 2016, TBT carried out a pilot study of the local sea turtle population. It was learned that there are many threats to the survival of the population, and that their numbers are rapidly declining. It was clear that something had to be done, and soon! So, TBT launched a project to save the Tambor Bay turtles.

TBT’s mission is to reduce threats to the sea turtles still coming to the beaches of Tambor Bay, so, we will produce enough hatchlings to actually grow the population, so that in 20-25 years, there will once again be enough adult Olive Ridley sea turtles to sustain the local population naturally. 

TBT operates under the direction of a qualified biologist, and our project coordinator is a local science teacher. It operates under a Scientific License and Hatchery Permit issued annually by the government of Costa Rica. TBT enjoys having a very strong support base in the local community. TBT has a very high-quality hatchery facility, one of the finest in Costa Rica.