olive ridley sea turtles

Thousands of sea turtles came ashore this week in the latest arribada, a mass nesting of the turtles that can last several days.

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

The findings suggest a "developmental difference between the eggs of arribada and non-arribada nesting females." 

Each year, thousands of olive ridley turtles come ashore in Costa Rica in what’s known as an arribada, a mass nesting of the turtles that lasts several days. 

Ostional is the only place in the world where people can legally harvest sea turtle eggs.

A new law passed this month aims to give peace of mind to the locals who have been living in the refuge since before it was declared in 1983.

On Dec. 4, thousands of olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) came ashore in the latest arribada, a mass nesting of the turtles that lasts several days.

Commander Rodolfo Coto, director of the Flamingo Coast Guard station, said that the eggs were no longer viable and had to be destroyed.

PLAYA OSTIONAL, Guanacaste – For tourists, the beaches of Costa Rica are known as a prime location for rest and relaxation, but they’re the exact opposite for Hellen Lobo, a conservation biologist. For Lobo, the volcanic sand beaches of Ostional National Wildlife Reserve are a place where she works long hours researching, recording and writing.

After a large mob of tourists made headlines worldwide for interfering with nesting sea turtles in Costa Rica earlier this month, thousands of olive ridleys have returned to Ostional beach this week. Unlike the last time, when mobs of tourists prevented the turtles from laying their eggs, the beach was mostly clear of visitors.