Under moonlit skies along Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, where waves breathe against volcanic sand and rainforest shadows reach the shoreline, a silent ritual unfolds.
Sea turtles, ancient mariners of Earth’s oceans, emerge from the surf to lay the next generation deep within the beach.
The sea turtle nesting in Costa Rica is not a seasonal sighting—it is a marine miracle, shaped by instinct, endurance, and time.
After years of oceanic wandering, female sea turtles return to the very beaches where they were born. Guided by magnetic fields and lunar rhythms, they cross thousands of kilometers to reach nesting grounds with astonishing precision.
Costa Rica hosts five of the world’s seven sea turtle species, with olive ridley, leatherback, and green turtles being the most commonly observed nesters along its shores.
One of the most extraordinary nesting events in the world is the arribada, a synchronized mass nesting of olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea).
At beaches like Playa Ostional and Playa Nancite, thousands of turtles come ashore in waves—often over several days—digging nests and laying eggs in coordinated bursts. The sand becomes a mosaic of movement, flippers sweeping, eggs dropping, moonlight catching the glint of wet shells.
Nesting begins with slow, deliberate ascent from the sea. Each turtle uses her rear flippers to excavate a deep cavity, deposits 80 to 120 eggs, then carefully covers the nest to camouflage it. She returns immediately to the sea, leaving her clutch to the fate of temperature, time, and predation.
Incubation takes around 45 to 60 days, with sand temperature influencing the sex of hatchlings—cooler sands yield males, warmer sands females. Hatchlings emerge en masse and instinctively crawl toward the ocean, guided by the reflection of moonlight on water.
For decades, turtle populations faced decline due to poaching, egg harvesting, beachfront development, and incidental capture in fishing nets. Today, Costa Rica is a global leader in sea turtle conservation, with numerous marine reserves, protective legislation, and community-led programs.
Organizations like MINAE, The Leatherback Trust, and WIDECAST partner with local residents to protect nesting sites, monitor populations, and promote eco-conscious tourism. In some areas, regulated egg harvesting is allowed during arribadas, providing local income while preserving turtle numbers.
Guided night walks with certified naturalists offer respectful observation, with red-filtered lights and strict codes of conduct to minimize disturbance.
Ethical travelers are encouraged to visit certified turtle conservation programs, avoid beachfront lighting, and support businesses aligned with marine protection efforts.
The sea turtle nesting in Costa Rica is not a tourist event—it is an ancient return, a natural choreography of instinct and vulnerability. In each buried egg lies a lineage older than empires, waiting for the tide to rise and life to begin again.
An arribada is a mass nesting event where thousands of olive ridley turtles come ashore simultaneously, unique to a few beaches in the world—most notably in Costa Rica.
Nesting seasons vary by species and location, but July to December is ideal for olive ridleys, and October to March for leatherbacks.
Yes, but only through guided tours with certified conservation programs that follow strict rules to protect the turtles and their nests.
Through marine reserves, anti-poaching laws, community partnerships, and eco-tourism initiatives that empower locals and safeguard critical habitats.