Protecting Turtles, One Nest at a Time

 

Kicking Off Our Volunteering Adventure in San Pancho 🐢✨

We’ve officially begun our volunteering journey in the beautiful coastal town of San Pancho, Mexico, and day one has already been unforgettable! We're working with the incredible team at Grupo Ecológico de la Costa Verde, A.C., a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting sea turtles, especially the Olive Ridley.

Our first assignment? Getting our hands sandy for science and conservation!

We started the day by excavating a nest that had hatched three days earlier. Why dig it up, you ask? After a hatch, it's important to collect data on how many eggs were laid, how many successfully hatched, and how many didn't make it. This information helps researchers track trends, measure the health of turtle populations, and refine conservation strategies. It's amazing how much you can learn from a hole in the sand.

Then came beach patrol - a nightly routine here. As we walked along the moonlit beach, we scanned for fresh turtle tracks, hidden nests, and, most importantly, signs that poachers may have already gotten to them. Sadly, turtle eggs are still considered a delicacy in some places, so protecting them is a real race against time. We were lucky to reach the nests first and ensure the eggs were safely relocated to protected hatcheries.

But the real magic moment? Watching a mama Olive Ridley turtle lay her eggs under a blanket of stars. 🌌 It’s hard to put into words what it feels like to witness something so ancient and instinctual. This mama dug her nest with strong, steady flippers and laid 96 eggs - yes, you read that right! That’s the average for Olive Ridleys. She then gently buried them before returning to the ocean, never looking back.

It’s moments like these that remind us why conservation matters.

We’re thrilled to be part of this important work and can’t wait to share more of what we’re learning and experiencing.

👉 Stay tuned for more updates, photos, and videos. Want to learn more about the amazing work being done here? Check out San Pancho Turtles   🐢💚