One of the smallest sea turtle species, the olive ridley is named for its greenish skin and shell coloring, and is closely related to the Kemp’s ridley. The olive ridley is the most abundant of all sea turtles and is only found in warm, tropical waters, primarily of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, but can also be found in parts of the Atlantic. Because of their large numbers yet small global distribution, the density of them is high, increasing your chance as a scuba diver to encounter these elegant swimmers as compared with species around the world.

They are solitary animals, preferring the open ocean. They do come together in large groups, however, once a year for their famous mass nesting ritual known as the arribada. During this time thousands of female turtles can be seen coming together on the same beach to lay eggs at nesting sites all over the world. Once they are done, they return to the warm sea to continue their isolated lifestyle as they migrate hundreds to thousands of miles each year. If diving with an olive ridley sea turtle is on your bucket list, check out the dive site map below to find the best areas around the world to see these beautiful animals.