Waiting for the first mass arrival of sea turles

Stephany Cuadra | Aug 12, 2016

La Flor Beach | Photographer: Paul Hoekman

Shelters Playa La Flor and Playa Chacocente indicate possible arribadas calendar of the season.

In this month of August, from the 22nd to the 27th, mass arrivals are expected form sea turtles in Playa Chacocente (Carazo) and the Wildlife Refuge Playa La Flor (Rivas), protected areas in the Pacific region of Nicaragua, reported MARENA to ViaNica.com. They expect several thousands of turtles come to lay their eggs in their shelters.

Currently, from the 7th to 13th of August both beaches are having "movements" of turtles, ie between 200-999 turtles that have been laying eggs (spawn). And it is called "arrivals" when over 1000 turtles come to spawn. Each turtle lays an average of 96 units of eggs, Faustino Obando, coordinator refuge in Chacocente, reported.

Obando told ViaNica.com that turtles observed in these beaches are the olive ridley turtles. However, there are other Pacific ones that can be appreciated in smaller amounts as the Torah (the largest), the green turtle and the hawksbill turtle. More about sea turtles in Nicaragua.

Turtle sighting

The spawning of these turtles is a tourist attraction and can be witnessed by national and foreign tourist at Chacocente Refuges and La Flor, which are open to the public 24 hours a day, paying an entrance fee. Similarly, camping spaces are provided beachfront.

Here you can read more about Chacocente

Here you can read more about La Flor

The sighting can be done about three meters away with red lights for the night carried by tourists, or the ones provided by the shelters. White lights can be disorienting.

After spawning, egg hatching (or birth) takes between 45 to 52 days. After the little begin their seaward migration, Lenin Duenas from MARENA Rivas said. Hatchings can also be seen on the beaches, always with the necessary measures provided by the shelters.

Upcoming arrivals

Arrivals calendar is set according to the lunar movements waning or waxing, with 80% probability, Obando said.

The next possible arrivals of turtles in the year, according to data provided by Lenin, have the following dates:

September 6th - 12th
September 20th - 26th
October 5th - 15th
November 4th - 10th
November 18th - 24th
December 4th - 10th
December 17th - 23rd