A couple of hours south of Tamarindo, on the coast, sits Ostional. That is the world’s most organized nesting ground for the Olive Ridley sea turtle.

At least once a year, during the green season, the beaches of Ostional flood with pregnant Turtles in search of a place to bury 100 eggs or so.

This year’s arribada started around October 25, but this time of year, mama turtles make regular trips ashore to unload a payload of hope for the future. It’s one of nature’s beautiful moments, one worth your time if you’re in the area this time of year.

The big rush is over, although there may smaller surges of sea turtles until the end of November. For the eggs in the sand, though, the battle has barely begun.

Sea Turtles

Travelers to Costa Rica talk about “the sea turtles” as if there is only one sort. There are, in fact, seven sea turtle varieties, each quite different from the rest.

Costa Rica is home to four of the seven, Hawksbill, Green, Leatherback, and Olive Ridley turtles. The latter are the darlings of Ostional. Closer to Tamarindo the Leatherbacks nest in Playa Grande.

Leatherbacks are huge, almost as long as an adult human when mature. They don’t nest in large numbers like the ones in Ostional.

Of the four, the Olive Ridleys are the only ones that lay eggs all year long. That means a trip to Ostional is always a good bet for spotting some turtle action.

Ostional

In the weeks leading up the new moon, the beaches of Ostional host hundreds of thousands of Ridleys. The 1995 season saw some 500,000 mothers on the beach.

They’ve been coming ashore as long as anyone can remember. Once upon a time, nesting season was a great time to raid nests. Some locals enjoy eating turtle eggs.

Ostional figured out how to satisfy local cuisine preferences while funding conservation efforts at the same time.

The people of Ostional, after conclusive research, figured out that the first waves of nests suffered from subsequent waves of turtles. Other females would inadvertently dig up nests to dig their own.

As such, Ostional and Costa Rican government decided back in ’87 to let the locals harvest the first 36-hours of nests. What they harvest, they sell. The money made goes to conservation efforts.

When visiting Ostional you will find park rangers and stations set up to protect the beach and educate about the turtles. From these efforts, Ostional contributes the largest percentage of baby Ridleys to the natural world of any other nesting site.

Baby Battles

While the baby turtles born in Ostional may have the best chance of making adulthood, they still face many challenges.

For starters, visitors to the beach this time of year sometimes trample nests in ignorance.

When the babies hatch, they must crawl out of 20 inches of sand. The sand itself can be too hot or too cold. The ideal range is 77º to 99º F.

Helping them out of the nest or to the water can hurt the turtles. They need the workout and the lung development, but fast temperature changes can (sand to water) can be deadly.

They have to make it alone, but fending off birds and dogs is okay. Once the babies hit the water, birds can still pick them out of the waves.

Below the surface, there are plenty of dangers too. Most will not make it into adulthood.

Those who do may travel as far as India, but they always come back to where they hatched. The females will come back to Ostional beach to lay eggs of their own.

If you want to visit Ostional beach while in Costa Rica, please let us help you make arrangements. It’s an unforgettable experience if you have the motivation to go.

Horizon Pacific Management & Rentals is located in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. Offering vacation rentals, property management, long-term rentals, as well as a complete concierge service. Providing you with a local contact during your stay, Horizon Pacific is a company you can trust, with the experience you need.