The Olive Ridley Sea Turtle | Breeding and Nesting | The Arribada

“Arribada” is Spanish and means “arrival by sea”. It is one of the most remarkable phenomena in the world when Olive Ridley sea turtles arrive to their nesting areas. Large groups of turtles gather off the coast to the beaches where they will lay their eggs. Suddenly, a huge number of turtles come to land to build their nests in what is known as a “Arribada”. During a Arribada up to thousands of Olive Ridley sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs.

On many beaches where Olive Ridley sea turtle lay eggs, there is a tremendous amount of nests. It is so great that there is a danger in earlier nests is dug up when a female Olive Ridley turtle dig a nest for its own eggs.

Although most female Olive Ridley lay their eggs in an Arribada, not all adult Olive Ridley turtles do this, some actually lay eggs alone. Olive Ridley sea turtle typically lay eggs 1 to 3 times per season and produced around 100 to 110 eggs each time. The eggs are about the size of golf balls and weigh less than 30 g. When the last egg is laid, the turtle covers the eggs with sand and finally press the sand with her plastron. When the nest is covered she flings around more sand with her flippers to erase any signs of the nest.

The time between a female Olive Ridley turtle goes to the beach to lay eggs varies a bit between those laying eggs alone and those laying eggs in an Arribada. In most places there are approximately 14 days among those who are alone and 28 days for those laying the eggs in an Arribada. It takes about 50 to 60 days before the eggs hatch. When the eggs hatch the baby turtles dig themselves out of the nest and crawl out of the nest.

The light reflected in the water from the sky guides them out to sea. It is estimated that only 10% of those baby turtles that are born will survive. There are many dangers for a tiny baby turtle. Birds are waiting to catch them when they crawl down to the beach. Those that do not reach the water before the morning light breaks, is easy prey for predators. Of those that do not get eaten by predators, many will die in the hot sun. In the sea several predators are waiting for the baby turtles.

To lay eggs together in a Arribada is something Olive Ridley turtle have in common with Kemps Ridley turtle. It is a very special way to ensure the species’ survival. By egg lie in the same place and time do you make that many eggs hatch within a short time. In reality, this means that they are more eggs than the predators can eat. The chances of at least one from each litter survive is great. The only turtles which are eggs in this way is Kemp’s Ridley and Olive Ridley turtle.