Imagine standing on a quiet beach in Mexico at night. Suddenly, thousands of visitors arrive from the wide ocean.
These special animals are sea turtles. They travel hundreds of miles across the water to reach this exact coast in Oaxaca. The female turtles crawl slowly over the warm sand. Next, each mother begins to dig a deep hole to make a nest. Inside this hole, she will lay around one hundred soft white eggs. This huge event is called an Arribada, which means arrival in Spanish. When so many turtles come together at once, it helps keep every single egg and baby turtle much more safe from hungry birds and crabs. Local volunteers and scientists walk along the shore to protect the nesting grounds from people who might step on them. They make sure the turtles can finish their work quietly and return into the water without any danger.
In about seven weeks, thousands of baby turtles will crawl out into the sea. You can see this wonderful event happen every year along the Mexican coast.
