A thief waits. He looks along the beach. Soon, he sees what he is looking for. A sea turtle is digging a nest. She lays her eggs in it. She doesn’t see the thief.
The thief steals the eggs. He pulls them out of the nest, one by one. The turtle doesn’t know it, but her nest is now empty.
CARIBBEAn SEA
PACIFIC
OCEAN
Honduras
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Chacocente
La Flor
Beaches where sea turtles nest
Sea turtles come to these beaches to lay their eggs.
Struggle
for Survival
Sea turtles have lived in our oceans for millions of years. Now, they are an endangered species. They face many threats. The greatest of these is people. People in some cultures eat turtle eggs. Poachers steal eggs to sell them. Little is known about the routes they use. So, poachers are hard to catch. Yet, one scientist had an idea.
Green sea turtles are an endangered species.
Some female olive ridley sea turtles nest in groups.
1
A female sea turtle comes onto a beach.
2
She makes a shallow nest.
3
The mother turtle lays many eggs in the nest.
4
She covers the nest with sand and returns to the sea.
5
Soon, the hatchlings break through their shells. They dig their way out of the nest.
6
The young turtles make their way to the ocean.
