Diego Blanco- Courtesy
The pollution with black and soapy water can be seen only 20 meters from the main entrance of the Tortuguero National Park. This situation worries neighbors and tourist businessmen from that area of the Costa Rican Caribbean.
This was denounced by communal leader Enrique Obando and Diego Blanco from Costa Rica Expeditions.
According to them, Tortuguero’s population grows every year and there are 2,000 locals living there, while they receive more than 55,000 tourists each year, according to data from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT).
In addition, being so close to the sea, the waters overflow the tanks and sanitary services, which causes the black water to reach streams and ponds that cross the town and arrive at the Park. The same situation occurs with the water that comes from house bathrooms.
All this makes pollution the common denominator in the area, including the National Park, especially during the “floods” that occur between December and January, the months of with the highest number of tourists.
Blanco added that in case of an emergency, the capacity to evacuate the population is very low, since it can only be done by boat – which lasts 2 hours to arrive and another two hours to return to Limón – or plane, which must be of small capacity (about 12 people), because the airport is very small.
The man also explained that the bad odors of the stagnant water are another problem, as it distances tourists.
The leaders maintain that for 22 days they proposed to the administration of the Park a solution: To allow night tours and jaguar sightings for a fee. The amounts would be deposited in a fund in charge of the Park to finally build water treatment plants.
However, they are still waiting for a response.