A sea turtle that had come to Playa Guiones to lay her eggs was attacked by dogs, resulting in her death.
The turtle arrived during the early morning of Sunday, August 24 and was attacked by a group of dogs while climbing up the beach to lay her eggs. A Hotel Harmony employee saw the incident and scared off the dogs, but it was too late to save her.
According to accounts given by residents who live along the beach, this was the fifth turtle that had been attacked by those same dogs. One resident told The Voice that the dogs belong to the owner of a surfboard rental business located at the entrance to the beach. They asked to remain anonymous.
The turtle was buried in the beach by Hotel Harmony staff.
Playa Guiones is part of the Ostional Wildlife Refuge. Although Guiones does not receive the huge number of turtles that Ostional does, some females do come to lay eggs, which is why the beach is protected by Costa Rica’s environmental laws.
In addition to a ban on the extraction of turtle eggs from the beaches that form part of the Ostional Refuge, the use of motorized vehicles, allowing dogs to run free and having bonfires are also prohibited.
The Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE – Ministerio de Ambiente y Energia) is the entity responsible for protecting these animals and ensuring compliance with environmental laws. The MINAE office for the Ostional Refuge is located in the town of Ostional, about 17 kilometers from Playa Guiones.
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