Nature Field Guide
Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
- Spanish name
- Tortuga lora
- Scientific name
- Lepidochelys olivacea
What Do Pico & Tati Think?
Pico: “This turtle has plates on its shell.”
Tati: “Comparing different turtles helps us notice the features that tell them apart.”
Species overview
About the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
The olive ridley is a small sea turtle with an olive to gray-green shell. Its upper shell is shaped somewhat like a heart and covered with hard plates. These features separate it from the much larger, leathery-backed baula.
Olive ridleys spend much of their lives at sea, where they eat a variety of foods. Females come ashore to nest. Some populations nest in large synchronized gatherings called arribadas, while others nest individually. A local species record should not be interpreted as evidence of an arribada at Tamarindo.
An olive ridley’s shell is divided into plates called scutes. Shell shape, plate arrangement and body proportions are useful clues, but identification from a distant view can be difficult. Color alone is insufficient because lighting and water can change its appearance.
The species uses tropical ocean waters and coastal areas. Its varied diet includes marine invertebrates and other foods. Both solitary nesting and synchronized mass nesting occur, but an arribada belongs to a particular nesting location and population. A Las Baulas record does not establish a mass-nesting event at Tamarindo.
Identification
Key Features of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
An olive or gray-green hard shell.
A heart-shaped upper shell with visible plates.
A relatively small sea turtle compared with a leatherback.
Habitat & range
Tropical ocean waters, coastal habitats and nesting beaches. The species is recorded by SINAC for Las Baulas.
Local observations
SINAC lists olive ridley among the sea turtles visiting Las Baulas. This does not demonstrate mass nesting at Tamarindo or predict a sighting on a particular beach.
When to observe
Use current park guidance for any visitor activity. A species record does not establish a viewing season or permit nighttime access.
Seasonal Calendar
Nesting events
Ostional National Wildlife Refuge
Year-round
Ostional reference, not a Tamarindo calendar: arribadas occur across the year, not continuously or on fixed dates. SINAC notes dry-season months may have none and rainy-season months may have multiple events. Confirm timing with the refuge.
Event source ↗Conservation & care
Leave turtles, nests and hatchlings undisturbed. Respect closures and do not use lights in nesting habitat. Reduce plastic waste and report distressed wildlife to local authorities.
Observation activity
Compare an olive ridley identification image with a leatherback image. Note shell texture, overall shape and proportions rather than guessing from color alone.
Explore by location
Central Pacific · Guanacaste · South Pacific · Guanacaste · Puntarenas · Tamarindo