Articles About Panama Tours And Travel | The Olive Ridley Turtles of Panama
The olive ridley is the smallest of the marine turtles, generally about two feet long, weighing up to 100 pounds at maturity and less than an ounce at birth. It is named for the greenish coloring of its shell. The olive ridley's diet includes crustaceans and mollusks, making the species visible in large groups as they feed along coastlines and islands. Observing the olive ridley is a memorable event on Panama tours because of the species' unique habit of synchronized nesting. By the thousands, the turtles approach the beach at night in what is called the "arribada" (arrival). There is no consensus among scientists about what signals the species to start laying eggs all at the same time.
Return to Previous Page
More About Panama's Olive Ridley Turtles
-
Abundant Yet Endangered Along With Its Cousins
-
More abundant than any other marine turtle species, the olive ridley, is nonetheless endangered on the Pacific coast of Mexico and considered threatened elsewhere. Populations have diminished dramatically over the past fifty years in many parts of the world. It is vulnerable because its eggs are collected, it gets caught in fishing nets, and its nesting habit makes killing large numbers of turtles efficient.
-
The olive ridley is a tropical migratory species that inhabits the open sea rather than coastal waters. It nests in one primary Panama location, a half-mile stretch of Pacific beach called La Marinera and at nearby beaches. The Isla de Canas Wildlife Refuge just off the Azuero Peninsula in Los Santos Province is one of the world's five top nesting sites of the olive ridleys. It is not the easiest place to get to since you must reach the mainland town of Canas via back-roads and then take a five minute boat trip to the island. Since observing turtles as they nest is a night-excursion, a guided tour is the easiest way to eliminate the hassles.
-
Timing your visit is not easy since the species does not arrive at exactly the same time each year. Females nest twice a season, and Las Arribadas have occurred as early as April. Statistically, the months of September and November are the safest bet.
-
Many entities are working to save the olive ridley in Panama and elsewhere. For instance, the Juventino Frias Oda Reserve, a 247-acre site in Pachotal, south of La Marinera beach, has been purchased with private funds from international sources to protect the species' habitat. The project is overseen by the Panama Foundation.
-
Ecotourism has proven a boon to the olive ridleys of Panama. With funding and direction from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, communities in the vicinity of the nesting sites are upgrading tourist accommodations and being educated about protection of the species. Villagers who would otherwise be making a living by harvesting the eggs and slaughtering the turtles for meat, now earn a higher wage by keeping the species safe. The effort is paying off, as eco-tourists in growing numbers are taking Panama tours to observe the olive ridleys.
