Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Arribada — Nancite Beach

About this spectacle

Nancite Beach in Santa Rosa National Park is one of the world's most dramatic wildlife spectacles: the olive ridley sea turtle arribada, where tens of thousands of female turtles emerge from the Pacific Ocean simultaneously to nest on the same stretch of dark volcanic sand. Visitors witness a living tide of ancient reptiles hauling themselves ashore under the cover of darkness, digging nests, depositing eggs, and returning to the sea — all within a few frantic hours. The air carries the salt of the ocean mixed with the musky scent of the turtles. Sounds are surprisingly intimate: flippers pushing through sand, the rhythmic rasp of egg-laying. Because Nancite is within a strictly protected national park with limited access, the experience is raw and uncrowded compared to more accessible arribada beaches. The sight of the beach surface seemingly alive with hundreds of moving shells at once is genuinely overwhelming.

When to go

Jan — Dec, peak Aug — Oct

Getting there

Nearest airport: LIR. Nearest city: Liberia.

Booking options

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