Ostional Refuge and the Turtle Arribadas

About this place

A long grey beach in a wildlife refuge on the Pacific coast, one of the world's key sites for the arribada, when tens of thousands of olive ridley turtles come ashore together over a few nights to lay their eggs in the sand, one of nature's most astonishing sights. Arribadas happen several times a year, the biggest in the rainy season roughly from August to November, often around the moon's quarters, lasting three to seven nights. About fifty days later the hatchlings emerge and race to the sea, so visitors may see tiny turtles scrambling over the sand. The local guides' association runs visits, so the refuge can be visited at night only with one of its guides, with no white light or flash photography, never touching the turtles or standing in their path. The villagers hold a unique legal right to collect part of the eggs in the first hours, under scientific supervision. The road to Ostional is dirt and crosses rivers that can flood in the rain, so a high-clearance car or a tour is best. Never feed or touch wild animals, and watch them from a distance.