Nicaragua: The Sea Turtle Invasion
Intrepid traveler Lauren Sgarlato spent the night watching thousands of turtles nesting on one of Central America’s most beautiful beaches.
Nicaragua may be known for its colorful cities and famous rum, or because its Central America’s largest country, but when it comes to wildlife, watching a sea turtle lay and bury her eggs can be an awe-inspiring sight. 
La Flor Reserve, also known as El Refugio de Vida Silvestre La Flor, is located approximately one hour or 21km south of the touristy surf town of San Juan del Sur and 150km south of the capital, Managua – reaching the reserve can be difficult without a 4WD.
El Refugio de Vida Silvestre La Flor is known for its influx of Olive Ridley turtles between the months of July and December.
This turtle species is particularly noted for its massive nesting aggregations, known as arribadas, where thousands of female turtles nest their eggs in the beaches of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. 
courtesy Wikipedia
In the Pacific, the Olive Ridley turtles nest primarily on beaches between Mexico and Chile, and La Flor’ in Nicaragua happens to be one of the major nesting beaches in the area. The La Flor refuge was formed to help protect these endangered animals from being completely wiped out as many restaurants have been caught stealing eggs. The pristine, undisturbed beaches in the La Flor Reserve provide the protection needed on the turtle population.
It’s not only the Olive Ridley vying for space in La Flor, you can also see rare Leatherback turtles ambling up the beach as well.
The Olive Ridley turtle was named after its olive color shell that is shaped like a heart. Adult Ridley’s reach up to 70 centimeters in length and weigh up to 110 pounds, making it one of the smallest sea turtles in the world, but thanks to the continued existence of several large arribadas, Olive Ridley’s are also the most abundant sea turtle in the ocean. These turtles usually nest one to three times a year and produce about 110 eggs during each nesting.
Within a few hours of being in San Juan, I met a local who offered me a ride to witness this phenomenal event. Although rough, the ride there was unforgettable; as I sat in the back of a pick-up truck and kept my head up to watch a night sky full of stars. I arrived with a group of travelers at La Flor late in the evening and it only took a few minutes until we came upon our first turtle emerging from the ocean. She slowly crept up the beach until she found a suitable nesting ground.
Upon choosing a location, the turtle then paddled and began to dig.
Once a secure hole was formed, it was time to give birth. The turtle gracefully nodded its head up and down, moaned, and out came the shiny white eggs, landing in the sandy nest. After laying around one hundred, she paddled again to cover the hole, before heading back into the water. There was something so graceful and amazing about the whole scenario. 
As we continued down the beach, we spotted another turtle in the middle of nesting. Ironically, the greatest single cause of Olive Ridley egg loss results from these arribadas themselves. The density of nesting females is so high that previously laid nests are carelessly dug up and destroyed by other nesting females. This was what we witnessed with the second turtle as we found many destroyed eggs around her nest, and later we found more destroyed eggs, which were most likely hunted by birds.
Hatching mostly occurs at night, just like the nesting process, and occurs during the months of January and February.
The incubation period lasts around 50 or 60 days and once hatched, the baby turtles claw their way through the sand to the sea’s edge. They must take care as other animals hunt them as they make their way down to the ocean. Once there, their fight continues until they reach adulthood. 
While many visitors flock to La Flor to witness the arrival of thousands of Olive Ridley turtles, it is not as touristy as the beaches in Costa Rica or Mexico. During my visit, my group and I were the only visitors on the beach. To experience an arribada is to experience wildlife flourishing. In short, it should not be missed during a visit to Nicaragua.
THE LOWDOWN
Where: The La Flor Wildlife Refuge, Nicaragua
Stay: There are many hotels in the nearby town of San Juan del Sur, or you can camp within the refuge (roughly US$25 per tent).
When: The refuge is open all year round, but nesting season is between July and December each year.
Costs: There is a fee to enter the park (roughly $5), and it is possible to book a tour leaving from San Juan del Sur.
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