Athiefwaitsinthedarkness.HiseyesscantheNicaraguanbeach.Soon,hespotswhatheislookingfor:Aseaturtledigginganest.Shebeginstolayhereggsinthenest.Shefallsintoatrance.Shedoesn’tnoticethe thief.

Thethiefreachesintothenestandpullsouttheeggs,onebyone.Theturtlemotherlaysherlasteggandusesherbackflipperstocoverit.Shedoesnotknowthatthenestisnowempty.Thethiefhastakeneverylast egg.

CARIBBEAN
SEA

PACIFIC
OCEAN

Honduras

Nicaragua

Costa Rica

Chacocente

La Flor

Beaches whereseaturtles nest

Oliveridley turtlescometothesebeachesbythethousandstolaytheireggsduringarribadas.Arribadameans "arrival"in Spanish.

Struggle
forSurvival

Seaturtleshavelivedinouroceansformillionsofyears.Butnowtheyareanendangeredspecies. Asfewasonein10,000babyseaturtleswillsurvivetoadulthood.Theyfacemany threats.

Aftertheyhatch,theymustcrawltotheocean.Butbirdsandotheranimalstrytoeatthem.Ifthebabiesmakeittotheocean,theyfacepredatorsinthewater.Somedieinfishingnets.Otherseatplastic trash.

Today,allbutoneoftheworld’ssevenseaturtlespeciesareintrouble.OfthefourspeciesthatcometoNicaraguatolaytheireggs,twoare“criticallyendangered.”Theyarethehawksbillandleatherbackturtles.Greenseaturtlesare“endangered.”Oliveridleyseaturtlesare “vulnerable.”

Greenseaturtlesareanendangered species.

Somefemaleoliveridleyseaturtlesnestin groups.

Thegreatestthreatseaturtlesfaceispeople.Peopleinsomecultureseatseaturtleeggs.InCentralAmerica,poachers destroymorethan90percentofthenestsonunguardedbeaches.Theeggsaresmuggledintocitiestobe eaten.

Itonlytakesonepoachertocausealotofdamage.Astretchofcoastlinemayhaveonlyafewfemaleturtles.Ifonepersonrobbedeverynest,thatpersoncouldthreatenanentire species.

Thedemandfortheeggsishigh.Asingleeggcanbesoldforasmuchas$300.Littleisknownabouttheroutespoachersuse.So,poachersarehardtocatch.Riskstotheeggsseemedunbeatable.Untilonescientisthadan idea.