Baby sea turtles risk it all in treacherous scramble to the sea
Facing dangerous predators from above, recently hatched sea turtles struggle to reach the safety of the open ocean.
Transcript
On the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica Exists a beach where tens of thousands of Olive Ridley sea turtles come ashore to lay eggs. And with all these turtles on the beach, A powerful and unusual predator is taking notice of the arrival. My name is Filipe DeAndrade, And I'm a National Geographic, wildlife filmmaker. It looks like one of the alpha males And then a juvenile male. My passion for animals has taken me across the world. And given me a deep appreciation for this earth. For season two of Untamed, we'll be exploring One of the most biologically diverse countries in the world: Costa Rica. This female Olive Ridley sea turtle is returning From the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean. She may have traveled up to 2,000 miles since last year. And the shallow waters off this coast May be her home for the next few weeks. At 15 years old, she's sexually mature. And ready to pass on the next generation Of Olive Ridley sea turtles. As she makes her way into this alien world, She now feels the full force of gravity. And the fins that allowed her to glide so effortlessly In the water, struggle to crawl on land. For the next 45 minutes, she will lay her eggs. But she is not alone. Joined by tens of thousands of nesting mothers, They will produce over one million eggs this nesting season. Making this single beach responsible for Many of the world's Olive Ridley sea turtles. This nesting behavior will last for the next three days, But the majority of the turtles coming out at night. It is known as the Arribada, which is Spanish for "arrival." Scientists aren't exactly sure why or how the turtles Synchronize their nesting period this way. But it's believed that at one point There were so many predators, That the turtles had to overwhelm them. She was found in the main groves Over 50 yards away from her nest site. The casualty of the Arribada. But it takes an incredible amount of strength To drag a 100 pound turtle off the beach. Not just any predator could have done this. The jaguar is not just any predator. They are the largest cats in the Americas And have the strongest bite force Of any big cat in the world. This area of Costa Rica may have one of the highest Concentrations of jaguars in all of Central America. And they are on this beach because of the turtles. With this many big cats in a small area, you would think That fights would break out over feeding rights. This is the first ever documented footage Of two would-be rival male jaguars sharing a kill. Biologists studying this behavior Have a new theory for big cats in the area. That when there's enough food for everyone, Competition decreases. And a rare communal side to these predators is revealed. Only a small percentage of turtles are taken by jaguars On this beach every year. Considering that over 100,000 turtles come here to nest, Most of them lay their eggs unscathed. The natural phenomenon that is the Arribada Ensures not only the preservation of the turtles, But also the species that surround this bunch. This is one of the few remaining safe havens For jaguars on our planet. And one of the main factors to them thriving here Is the Arribada.