How and why do arribadas exist?
We do not know how or why this behavior exists. Of many possibilities, scientists believe the timing of nesting may be a response to a chemical smell (or pheromone) secreted by a gland and the behavior may be a “safety in numbers” strategy that increases the survival of hatchlings.
Where and when do they occur?
Arribadas occur at few sites across the globe, with varying frequency and size. At many sites, arribada sea turtle populations are rapidly declining as a result of a long history of over harvesting. Arribadas occur at Ostional Beach in the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge almost every month of the year. The largest arribadas occur in the rainy season (July–November), when hundreds of thousands of turtles nest over a period of 3–4 days. In the dry season (December–June), smaller events typically consist of tens of thousands of turtles nesting over 2–3 days.
WHAT IS AN ARRIBADA? WHY IS IT SO SPECIAL?
What is an arribada?
An arribada (Spanish word for arrival) is a synchronized mass-nesting event of sea turtles. Hundreds and sometimes thousands of sea turtles simultaneously come ashore to lay their eggs on a small stretch of beach within a matter of days. This behavior occurs in the Ridley genus (olive ridley and Kemp’s ridley turtles) and at few sites across the globe. The discrete start of events, small geographic scale, and short-period of time in which they occur make it a unique natural phenomenon.
AT OSTIONAL, THE LARGEST ARRIBADAS OCCUR IN THE MONTHS OF SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER, WHEN UP TO 500,000 TURTLES NEST AT ONCE.
View the Olive Ridley Arribada Sites: Global Arribada Frequency and Size
[+] View fullscreen interactive map
View the State of the World's Sea Turtles Report: Status of Olive Ridley Arribada Populations
Sea turtles nesting on the beach at the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge.
_JPG.jpg)
Drone videography of sea turtle migration behavior in the ocean at the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge.
ARRIBADAS AROUND THE WORLD
Status Of Olive Ridley Arribada. SWOT Report, seaturtlestatus.org, 2021.
