Guardians of the Night: How Thermal Drones Could Help Save Sea Turtles in Costa Rica
The southern Caribbean coastline of Costa Rica may look like paradise by day — but by night, the beach tells a different story.
While the rest of the world sleeps, leatherback and green sea turtles haul themselves ashore to nest — ancient survivors returning to the same stretch of sand where they were born.
But they’re not alone.
Poachers wait in the jungle, or pose as fishermen under cover of darkness, ready to snatch freshly laid eggs to sell or eat.
And for the small, under-resourced teams trying to protect these turtles, the threats are very real.
A Race Against the Shadows
During my recent patrol with Planet Conservation (read: A Night I Won’t Forget), we came face to face with a group of poachers who had reached a nesting turtle before we did.
The situation was chaotic—people touching the turtle, digging into the nest, bright lights flashing, and even others hiding in the trees nearby. It was tense, unpredictable, and dangerous.
In these moments, we walk a tightrope.
Confrontation can escalate quickly, and with no police support, we rely on dialogue, presence, and hope to do the right thing.
This time, we negotiated to save half the nest.
But many nights, conservationists don’t get that chance.
Enter Thermal Imaging Drones
What if there was a way to see what’s coming before it happens?
Thermal drones — equipped with infrared cameras that detect heat signatures — could be a game-changing tool for turtle conservation in regions like the southern Caribbean.
Here’s how they could help:
1. Detecting Nesting Turtles Before Poachers Do
Thermal drones can fly silently above the beach, scanning for the heat signatures of nesting turtles as they emerge from the sea.
This would allow patrol teams to reach turtles first, ensuring the nest is protected and recorded properly.
Right now, many patrols are done entirely on foot — with visibility limited to the reach of a red headlamp. By the time a team spots tracks, the eggs are often already gone.
With thermal drones, we could spot turtles hundreds of meters away, giving patrol teams a critical head start.
2. Spotting Poachers Hiding in the Jungle
Poachers often hide in the treeline or pretend to fish until a turtle emerges.
From the ground, they’re almost impossible to detect — especially when they’re trying not to be seen.
But from above, a human heat signature stands out like a flare.
Thermal drones could alert teams on the ground to:
Suspicious movement near a nesting turtle
People hiding in ambush positions
Large groups potentially acting together
With this information, patrols could avoid dangerous encounters, call in backup, or simply change routes to stay safe.
3. Making Patrols Safer
The sad truth is that some beaches are too dangerous to patrol without police, and law enforcement presence is limited.
In these high-risk areas, turtle nests are often stolen night after night with no eyes and no intervention.
Thermal drones could allow for remote monitoring, allowing rangers and volunteers to watch over long stretches of coastline without putting themselves in direct danger.
Combined with GPS tagging and real-time alerts, teams could be deployed only when safe and necessary.
Why Costa Rica Needs This Tech
Costa Rica is celebrated for its conservation leadership — but in many remote areas, resources are stretched thin.
Volunteers are often the last line of defense for sea turtles, walking miles of beach in the dark with nothing but headlamps and hope.
The Caribbean coast, from Cahuita to Gandoca, faces increasing pressure from egg poaching, drug trafficking routes, and tourist overdevelopment.
Turtle populations, already fragile, can’t withstand much more.
Introducing thermal drone technology could be a turning point — allowing for:
Safer patrols
Higher nest survival rates
Better data collection
And more deterrence for would-be poachers
Technology with a Heartbeat
This isn’t about replacing people — it’s about empowering them.
Drones don’t feel the urgency of a turtle struggling to lay her eggs while humans dig behind her.
They don’t understand the heartbreak of arriving just seconds too late.
But they can give us an edge.
They can help us protect the vulnerable, avoid confrontation, and make the invisible… visible.
