Costa Rica’s Sea Turtle Arribadas at Ostional Wildlife Reserve
Do NOT Disturb!! A Common Sense Code of Ethics When Viewing Wildlife
Costa Rica has made a name for itself as a tourist destination with a deep and abiding love of nature and conservation. This is just one reason why the scene that unfolded this week involving the sea turtle arribada at Ostional Wildlife Refuge was so shocking and disturbing that we are still having a hard time wrapping our minds around what happened. We found ourselves shaking our heads with sadness at photos and videos depicting throngs of visitors flooding the beach in Ostional while hundreds of Olive Ridley sea turtles (Loras in Costa Rica) were trying to come ashore to lay their eggs. The footage is so upsetting that we’ve decided to write this special post in order to call attention to an issue that for all intents and purposes should be a no-brainer.
It is extremely bad form to disturb mother sea turtles trying to lay their eggs on the beach; this behavior is totally unacceptable and must stop!
We’re going to choose to believe that it is not common knowledge that turtles who come ashore to lay their eggs should be left alone, and that the people who chose not to do so just didn’t see the giant signs posted on the beach. Instead, we will try to put a positive spin on it and take this opportunity to educate our readers on the appropriate way to behave in the event that you one day find yourself in the presence of this beautiful miracle. This way maybe they won’t have to write another astonishing news story about the horrific sight of hundreds of humans simultaneously disrupting the natural process of life just for a selfie or Facebook bragging rights.
The sea turtles in Costa Rica come to lay their eggs only once every year. If the sea turtles are disrupted and have to return to sea without depositing their eggs, that puts the danger of sea turtle extinction just one step closer. In the case of the “arribadas” (a phenomenon that happens once or sometimes twice a year where hundreds if not thousands of sea turtles blanket the beaches of Ostional and other popular sea turtle nesting grounds in Costa Rica and around the world), we lose an entire generation of sea turtles just spiraling the Olive Ridley turtle population into extinction.
First and foremost, should you come upon a turtle emerging from the sea to lay her eggs, do not approach her. This is likely to frighten her. Do not touch her, do not set your child atop the turtle and take photos. (Yes. That happened.) Do observe this beautiful creature from a distance. Do walk softly as turtles are sensitive to vibrations. Do not walk amongst the turtles and have your husband film you for social media. (Yes. That happened.)
As a result of the melee at the Ostion Wildlife Reserve this week, not one egg was laid, out of the hundreds of turtles who made landfall. Not one! Can you tell we’re upset? Good, we are!
In order to lay her eggs, the turtle must dig a big hole, climb inside, and then initiate spawning. If you are lucky enough to be a witness to this amazing event, wait from a distance for her to get into the hole and to remain still for several minutes. The spawning process takes a little while and once it’s underway you can then get a little closer, approaching from behind so as not to frighten or disturb her. If you are not on a sea turtle tour with a naturalist guide but instead just happen to be in the same place as the turtle, we recommend that you just keep your distance entirely and let her be. Do not shine a flashlight in her face. Do not use flash photography.
The sea turtle should be totally unaware that you are present. If you sense that she is aware of you, leave. She will not lay her eggs if you are in her space. Would you make yourself vulnerable if a potential predator were leering at you, shining light in your face, making noise and causing distress? Exactly. So don’t do it to her.
After she is done laying her eggs, do not go and stand on the freshly covered nest. (Yes. That happened.) Do not go and dig up the eggs. Do not follow the turtle back to the sea, and do not attempt to swim with her. Show some respect. This is your Mother Nature we’re talking about.
It is truly sad that the events of this week necessitated the writing of this blog. Ostional is considered to be in the top four important sea turtle nesting grounds worldwide, ostensibly due to the peace and serenity it normally enjoys. It is normally guarded by only a handful of park rangers, and yet hundreds of thousands of Olive Ridley turtles return here each year to lay their eggs. Clearly Ostional was blindsided by this influx of people who chose to take advantage of the lack of authority instead of respecting this natural and beautiful process.
Here is a great time to repeat again that NOT ONE EGG was laid thanks to the imbecilic behavior of these hundreds of people who were most definitely warned against behaving in this manner. Regulations are posted and state clearly in no uncertain terms that tourists may only enter the beach with a licensed guide. Every one of these people defied the law and chose to take advantage of the situation instead of simply doing what was right and natural. Hope they got some great shots for Facebook though; we’re confident that all the “likes” will add to the dwindling turtle population and serve to educate people on this growing area of concern. Oh… that’s not how it works?
Ok, ok, back to the positive spin we were trying to make. You can get your own chance at Nat Geo worthy photos of the beautiful sea turtles in Costa Rica if you do it responsibly. Guided sea turtle observation tours are available throughout Costa Rica and are a great way to learn a lot more about the turtles and their important roles in our ecosystem and highly recommended. However, if you stumble upon them on your own, just use the common sense code of ethics when viewing wildlife: DO NOT DISTURB!
