Help us change This! Volunteer in Costa Rica or Support From Home
Located on the Nicoya Peninsula, the Ostional Wildlife Refuge hosts the world's second-largest synchronized sea turtle nesting phenomenon known as "Arribada," where up to 200,000 Olive Ridley turtles nest simultaneously.
Since 1984, this protected area has been conserving 510 hectares of coastal land and 8,054 hectares of marine habitat, including vital mangrove ecosystems.
"Playa Ostional is one of the most important Olive Ridley mass-nesting ('arribada') beaches in the world." National Geographic
"All seven sea turtle species are considered at least threatened globally; six are listed in IUCN threatened categories." IUCN Red List
"In the Caribbean, historical overexploitation eliminated ~95% of an estimated 19–33 million Green turtles." Jackson et al. (2001), Science
"Olive Ridley turtles, the primary nesting species at Ostional, are classified as Vulnerable globally." IUCN
"In Cape Verde, loggerhead turtle nesting increased from ~500 to ~35,000 nests following community-based conservation." Conservation Success Story