My name is Karla Taylor Martinez I’m a descendent of the first settler of Tortuguero, which used to be known as “ Turtle Bogue”. In Tortuguero, we have the longest ongoing research of sea turtles in the world and my family has been involved with the Caribbean Conservation Corporation since its founder Dr. Archie Carr first arrived here back in 1954. When my great grandfather arrived in Tortuguero
with his seven children, life was pretty hard; a big part of their survival depended on using the natural resources of the area. Hunting, fishing and small agriculture were the only ways to survive. Even though the turtles came only seasonally, turtles became a very important source of meat and eggs for people along the Caribbean. Since the National Park was created in 1975, we had to change our way of living and our mentality. We are learning to use our resources in a sustainable way. After being hunters we have “evolved” and are now conservationists. This is the legacy of Dr. Archie Carr. After completing my studies, I got a scholarship from the University of Pennsylvania to study taxonomy, and I became a parataxonomist. Just in case you are wondering, parataxonomy is the science that the Taxonomic classification of the species. I was involved with the National Institute of Biodiversity (INBio)--a non-profit institute in charge of the inventory of the species of plants, insects, etc.--for seven years, during which time I traveled all over our beautiful country. Since then, I have been a naturalist guide for 14 years. I enjoy discovering all of the treasures of Costa Rica and sharing them with people from the entire world, so they can see Costa Rica through my eyes. I really enjoy sharing the vast knowledge that I have obtained with people who visit Costa Rica and who have a fascination with seeing, experiencing and learning my country. When I first started guiding I wanted to show all the flora, fauna and the culture of Tortuguero. Today my goal is different, I want to change peoples lives through a “travel experience”. I have a lot to share with you however the only way for you to see this Tropical Paradise is for you to come and visit me for a true travel experience.
