In the midst of a global extinction crisis, the opportunity to witness a large congregation of an endangered species is truly extraordinary.
The density of turtles is so high that you could almost imagine crossing the sea by hopping from shell to shell.
Biologist Vanessa Bézy felt incredibly privileged when she flew her drone over the Costa Rican coastline and captured what could be the largest swarm of sea turtles ever filmed, as reported by National Geographic.
The stunning footage shows thousands of olive ridley sea turtles swimming near Ostional National Wildlife Refuge. With an estimated one turtle for every square meter, the congregation is so dense that one could imagine hopping from shell to shell across the sea.
The video may only scratch the surface as new turtles continue to rise from the depths as the drone ascends, suggesting that there are many more turtles hidden below the surface.
“I immediately knew there was something special going on,” said Bézy. “To this day, I’m still blown away by the video. They look like bumper cars out there.”
While turtle swarms are not uncommon at Ostional, the density captured in this footage is unprecedented and may not be witnessed again due to the species’ vulnerability.
“This is the only time I’ve seen a video capturing this phenomenon in the water,” explained Roldán Valverde, scientific director of the Sea Turtle Conservancy. “Most documentation occurs on the beach.”
Bézy released this footage to raise awareness about the importance of protecting these turtles, whose nesting sites are limited. She is concerned about the impact of tourism on these critical sites and emphasizes the need for stricter regulations.
With a low survival rate for hatchlings, human threats could push the turtle population to the brink. Bézy’s hope is that her footage will help mitigate these risks and ensure the continued survival of this remarkable population.
“Everybody I’ve shown this video has an emotional response,” she said.
