No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeEnvironmentIn Costa Rica Sea Turtles Come to Shore in a Massive Arribada

In Costa Rica Sea Turtles Come to Shore in a Massive Arribada

Thousands of sea turtles came ashore Sunday in Costa Rica during the latest arribada, a mass nesting that can last several days.

Watch a video of this spectacular Costa Rica event at Ostional beach below:

During a typical arribada, as many as 300,000 sea turtles can arrive at the beach over several days.

Once the female turtles have reached a suitable site, the turtles use their back flippers to excavate the nest, leaving behind roughly 100 leathery eggs, each about the size of a ping-pong ball. After the eggs are in the sand, the turtles cover up the nest. For good measure, the turtles rock back and forth, making loud thumping sounds as they “dance” over the nest to compact the sand and camouflage it.

Local efforts to protect turtles have intensified since an infamous incident in 2015 when tourists eager to watch the turtles’ arrival interfered with their nesting.

Today, the rules are much stricter. If visitors want to stand among the sea turtles, they need to be accompanied by a local guide and travel in small groups.

Travelers can get a local guide on the main (and only) road through Ostional at a small green cinderblock building leading toward the beach.

Here are more photos from Sunday’s arribada, via the Association of Local Guides of Ostional:

Trending Now

U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica Mandates Public Social Media for Student Visas

The U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica announced a new rule for anyone applying for F, M, or J nonimmigrant visas, which cover academic students,...

U.S. – Guatemala Security Pact Targets Crime and Helps Returning Migrants

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem signed a border security cooperation agreement with Guatemala on Thursday, which includes the use of drones and...

Costa Rica Aims to Close Paternity Leave Gap with Bold New Proposal

A new bill in Costa Rica aims to give fathers in the private sector a full month of paid paternity leave, matching the benefit...

Costa Rica’s Pride 2025 Closing Event Bans Minors, Sparks Outrage

Costa Rica’s Pride 2025 closing event, set for June 29 at San José’s Plaza de la Democracia, was thrown into controversy when the government...

Former Costa Rican Minister Arrested for Drug Trafficking, Faces U.S. Extradition

Costa Rica’s judicial police arrested Celso Gamboa, a former security minister and Supreme Court judge, on Monday, following a U.S. request for his extradition...

Why Costa Rica’s Northern Huetar Region Struggles Despite Its Riches

Costa Rica’s Northern Huetar Region, a sprawling area of 9,790 square kilometers, is home to over 437,000 people across districts like San Carlos, Upala,...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica