An arribada (arrival), is a mass nesting event of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle. Sea turtles will travel thousands of miles to nest on the same beaches they were born on. This incredible sense of direction is done through expert navigation on the turtle’s part using the Earth’s magnetic field to guide them. When you think about it, this is simply incredible, but there are other complexities & mysteries in the life of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle.
The Olive Ridley Sea Turtle and the phenomenon known as an Arribada, as mentioned, is a mass nesting event. Now when we say, “mass nesting”, we mean MASS NESTING! Tens of thousands of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles will visit over the course of a few nights to lay their precious eggs into the warm sands they themselves were born on.
There are several theories on what might trigger an arribada including, lunar cycles, offshore winds, and the release of pheromones by females. Scientists have yet to conclusively determine why exactly arribadas occur, likely a combination of the above. Lucky for us Costa Rica is host to not 1 beach, but 2 beaches that see regular Arribada’s throughout the green season. Ostional and Rosa Blanca are the beaches that see regular Arribadas throughout the year.
The most accessible area of Costa Rica to witness this spectacular display of nature is Ostional. Here during the darkest nights of the rainy season, you have a very good chance to see something few on Earth get to see. The miracle of life, on the grand stage, in a most dramatic fashion!
We are looking for the darkest nights in each month. The New Moon offers the right conditions, the nights on or around the new moon is the target date range each month. With the exception of March and April, the new moon tends to fall on the latter half of each month in 2022. See the moon phase graph below to get an idea of when to travel.
Visiting a Nesting Beach: Visiting during sea turtle nesting times it is VERY important to wear dark clothing so as not to distract the turtles. Traditional flashlights are also not allowed, this would disturb the turtles as they fulfill their task, bright lights will do exactly that. Keep your distance from the turtles as they nest, respect their space and never interfere with natures work.
The best dates in 2022 to see an Arribada are: Jan 31st – March 2nd – April 1st – May 30th – June 28th – July 28th – Aug 27th – Sep 25th – Oct 25th – Nov 23rd – Dec 23rd. The days in and around a new moon is the time to come to witness this. The Samara & Nosara areas of Costa Rica offer a good solid jumping off point to see this wonder of nature. Having an expert naturalist guide with you will enhance your experience and we have access to some of the best guides in Costa Rica.
Ask your travel planner about including our “Epic Add On – The Arribada” to your customized Costa Rica trip. You can use our online Costa Rica trip builder to start building your trip!