There are four different species of turtles that nest at Camaronal. They are the Olive Ridley turtle (Tortuga Lora), the Black turtle (Tortuga Negra), the Leatherback turtle (Tortuga Baula) and the Hawksbill turtle (Tortuga de Carey).

 

The Olive Ridley turtles nest in Camaronal year round and it’s quite common to see at least one every week. During their peak nesting season, from July through to November, an average of 10-20 turtles will nest each night on the beach. In fact, last year between 6000-8000 Olive Ridley turtles came ashore between the 18th and 22nd November in a mass nesting that is known in Spanish as an ‘arribada’.

The Black turtles are a little bit harder to observe, as they lay their eggs in a very remote part of the beach. However, you might be lucky enough to see one between the months of June and December. The Leatherback turtles nest between October and February and the Hawksbill turtles, which are the rarest, will arrive in small numbers throughout the year.