Costa Rica Braces For Nearly 100,000 Sea Turtles During Annual Nesting Season

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Published on Monday, September 7, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Costa Rica’s Kemp’s ridley sea turtle nesting season began over the weekend, as dozens of turtles arrived at Ostional Beach in Guanacaste Province.

The phenomenon, known as an “arribada,” or mass arrival, brings hundreds of thousands of Kemp’s ridley turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) ashore each year to lay their eggs at the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge.

Park rangers estimate that although turtles arrive at the beach year-round, between 98,000 and 100,000 are expected from September through November. October is expected to mark the peak of the nesting season.

Kemp’s ridley turtles can grow up to 28 inches (70 centimeters) long and weigh about 220 pounds (100 kilograms).

A single turtle can lay between 80 and 120 eggs, but only about 1% survive natural predators and human interference.

Although the species is not currently endangered, it faces serious threats from indiscriminate fishing, ocean pollution and egg poaching by people who consume or sell turtle eggs and meat.

The Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) has implemented strict rules for visitors to the refuge, which was established in 1984 to protect nesting sites for Kemp’s ridley and other sea turtle species.

Visitors to the refuge must follow several rules designed to protect the turtles during the nesting season:

Tours must be booked through the Ostional Tourist Guides Association at (506) 6252-7412.

Entry is permitted only with a certified guide.

Each turtle-watching group is limited to 10 people, including the guide.

Visitors without an authorized guide will be denied access to the beach.

Flashlights, camera flashes, artificial lights and cellphones are prohibited on the beach at night to prevent disorienting the turtles.

Because the main road to the refuge passes through a forested area, access is restricted to four-wheel-drive or high-clearance vehicles.

Four species of sea turtles nest at Ostional Beach. The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) nests sporadically throughout the year. The green, or black, sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) nests in small numbers year-round. The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) nests from October through April. The Kemp’s ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) nests in large numbers during both the rainy and dry seasons.

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The turtles stand out as the only species at Ostional that nests during specific monthly periods. As many as 200,000 turtles can come ashore to nest both during the day and at night between September and November.

The observation of this remarkable natural event led to the creation of the wildlife refuge in 1984. The place not only protects nesting sea turtles but also provides habitat for marine invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and numerous bird species.

The annual arribada has since become one of Costa Rica’s most notable wildlife spectacles, while the refuge continues to play an important role in protecting the turtles and the broader ecosystem they depend on.

MINAE is the government agency responsible for environmental protection policy, natural resource management and the sustainable use of renewable energy in Costa Rica.

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What steps should Costa Rica take to protect sea turtles during the nesting season? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com