Turtle Sanctuary, Manzanillo, Mexico
Eileen and Jed Hoeter opened Villa Star of the Sea in 2015 and soon after, were asked to open a turtle sanctuary. Three species of turtles are found in that area: Olive Ridley, Green and Leatherback. The first two are considered "vulnerable" and Leatherbacks are listed as critically endangered. They couple used to find and dig up turtle eggs and babies on their own but one day, Coco, their small dog, spontaneously started finding nests. She has an incredibly sensitive nose. Once she locates a nest, she digs furiously until she sees the white of the eggs. Then, she stops, backs off and lets Eileen or Jed take over. The eggs are brought back to the small sanctuary where, after 55 days, they'll hatch. Babies are released to the ocean but they're not placed directly in the water. Instead, they're placed several yards away. Eileen explained that they pick up something from the sand and, three years after being released, females return to the same beach to lay their eggs. Males never return. For more information or to contact the Hoeters:
http://lasirenagordita.com/turtle.html
