Year after year, the beaches of Oaxaca are adorned with a very special visitor: the arrival of thousands of sea turtles that come ashore to lay their eggs and give rise to a new generation. This natural phenomenon is known as arribada.
The arribada is one of the most impressive spectacles offered by olive ridley sea turtles. Watching so many of these animals digging their nests to lay their eggs and then returning to the water is simply witnessing an expression of nature.
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According to the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp), more than one million nests have been recorded annually in Oaxaca on average over the last five years.
In 2025 alone, more than 1.5 million turtles hatched on Escobilla Beach, distributed across 10 to 14 nesting events, according to data from protected natural areas staff.
Olive ridley sea turtles are one of the smallest species of sea turtles, reaching up to 70 centimeters in length. They are currently considered an endangered species.
Upon arriving on the beach, these turtles dig nests about 40 centimeters deep, where they lay between 80 and 150 eggs. The incubation period is approximately 45 days. Hatchlings are dark gray to black and measure about five centimeters.
To protect this species, CONANP staff conduct continuous monitoring along the 18 kilometers of beach. At the end of the incubation period, they return to the nests to monitor the number of hatchlings that have emerged.
Where can you witness the arribada in Oaxaca?
In Oaxaca, the main locations for this phenomenon are Escobilla Beach and Morro Ayuta Beach, both recognized as sanctuaries and Natural Protected Areas by the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP).
Escobilla Beach ranks first worldwide for olive ridley sea turtle nesting. This sanctuary is located in the municipality of Santa María Tonameca and has an approximate entrance fee of 95 pesos per person, according to the official CONANP website.
The Morro Ayuta Beach sanctuary, on the other hand, is located in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, between the municipalities of San Pedro Huamelula and Santiago Astata.
Source: oaxaca.eluniversal
