COSTA RICA OSTIONAL LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
The Ostional National
Wildlife Refuge is located in the counties of Santa Cruz and Nicoya
in the province of Guanacaste. It is bounded on the North by Punta
India 222550 N - 34750 E (Hoja Cerro Brujo 3046-II), the South by
Punta Guiones Nosara 210400 N - 353150 E (Hoja Garza 3045-I) and
extending three miles out to sea. The refuge comprises an area of
300 Ha on land and 800 Ha of ocean.
The Ostional National Wildlife
Refuge was officially created in 1984 but was declared a
protected area in 1982. The refuge was initially construed
as being 200m wide from Punta India to the mouth of Rio
Nosara. This area was increased to include the 200m strip to
Punta Guiones in 1985. Finally, in 1992, with the
institution of the new "Wildlife Law", came the final
definition of the refuge and in 1993 the amplification to
the three mile maritime limit as it is today.
The best time to visit Ostional is just
before and during an ARRIBADA. These occur,
as a general rule, at the start of the LAST
Quarter MOON. The best months to see the
biggest ARRIBADAS are between July and
December.
After an undetermined
waiting time, close to the last quarter of the moon cycle,
the "arribada" will begin. At first, a few hundred turtles
will come out on the beach, followed by a steady stream of
animals for the next three to seven days.
So many turtles come onto
the beach in a short time span that most of the first nests
are destroyed by later turtles. Therefore, in 1987, a
project was initiated to allow local people the right to
collect and sell a percentage of the eggs from the first
three days of each arribada. This is the only place in the
world where it is legal to harvest turtle eggs. This
practice is designed prevent poaching and to help the local
community.
"Arribadas" occur all
through the year, at least once a month and, in some
months, may occur twice. The months between June and
December, during the rainy season, see larger "arribadas".
That means that the number of nesting turtles may be
in the range of hundreds of thousands
as opposed to tens of thousands for
the dry season months.
Park Facilities and Hours
The ranger station at Playa
Ostional is open from 8 am to 4 pm. Guided tours
are available with bi-lingual park employees.
Contact the ADIO (Asociacion de Desarrollo de
Ostional) for more information. 506-682-0470
Costa Rica.
The
Ostional National Wildlife Refuge
was created to protect one of the
world's most important nesting
beaches of the marine turtle
Lepidochelys olivacea (Olive Ridley)
or Lora as it is known locally.
In
1994, the functions of the forestry service, the
park service and the wildlife service were combined
under the umbrella of the "National System of
Conservation Areas" (SINAC) directly responsible to
the Ministry of the Environment and Energy (MINAE).
Under this system,
the Refuge falls under the control of the "Tempisque Conservation
Area" (ACT) which has a wildlife ranger as its representative in
Ostional.
The nesting beaches
are patrolled by guards who are paid by the village of Ostional.
As marine
turtles are normally shy and easily disturbed when nesting, the "arribada"
is all the more exciting and strange. These animals, now in "arribada
mode", will come out during the night and day and be almost
oblivious to disturbance by man or animal, light or sound. Bumping
into each other, crawling over each other, they are automatons on
their way to fulfil a predetermined task; lay their eggs at all
cost.
The largest "arribada" thus far
recorded in Ostional, took place in November 1995 when a calculated
500 000 females came ashore.
The Olive Ridley Sea Turtles of Ostional
National Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica are world famous for
their arribadas, huge egg laying seasons. The nesting beach at
Ostional can be covered with thousands of turtles during an
arribada. Although some believe that arribadas may be correlated
with moon phases and tides, there are turtles laying eggs at
Ostional Beach throughout most of the year.
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