The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA, February 19, 2006
“Playa Las Tortugas has become an example of what can be accomplished when the government, environmentalists, and private developers look beyond a quick fix and the quick buck that plague developing areas around the world ...”

Environmental Study

Commencing in 1997 the developer of Playa Las Tortugas sponsored an environmental study, performed by the Scientific Investigations Department of the University of Nayarit, which was used to draft a document published in March 1998 called the “Ordenamiento Ecologico Semidetallado de la Cuenca Baja del Rio Otates, Nayarit”.

The study is a tool now used to forward environmental conservation and protection, currently helping us to promote protection of the adjacent mangrove estuary and turtle nesting habitat at a federal level.

Urban Development Plan

The environmental study mentioned above also served as the base document of an urban development plan for our zone, sponsored by the developer of Playa Las Tortugas. By sponsoring an urban plan we were able to encourage lower density development of the surrounding area. The plan was signed into law, and later published in the state legal periodical during April 2005. The urban plan regulates development for over 5 kilometers (3 miles) of coastline and the adjacent 1783 hectares (4582 acres) of habitats.

Demographics

Included as part of the urban plan study were demographics of the area including the two rural, primarily agricultural towns of “El Espino” and “Otates y Cantarranas” which form our community.

According to the results of the study the population had been in decline over the previous 15 years, by a total of some 17%, due to migration in search of jobs. At that time only about 29% of the total population was economically active, primarily in agriculture, livestock, and fishing.

In 2007 an agricultural or ranching field hand makes approximately $150 pesos per day, or less than $14 USD, making alternatives such as seeking work outside of Mexico more attractive. According to the 1990 census only 62% of persons above the age of 15 years were educated to the primary level, and even today it is not unusual that adults in our community remain without basic reading and writing skills. One of the means of raising standards of living is via education, another by creation of jobs, and the two go hand-in-hand.

Standard of Living and Educational Opportunities

In addition to responsible growth, Playa Las Tortugas looks forward to seeing a raised standard of living by providing employment and education opportunities to inhabitants of our rural area.

From the Airport in Puerto Vallarta to Playa Las Tortugas:

It’s easy to find your way from the Puerto Vallarta International Airport to Playa Las Tortugas, and you’ll find the roads are normally well-maintained. In Mexico the use of “speed-bumps” is customary in smaller towns, particularly around schools or popular pedestrian crossing spots, so watch for them and read the Printable Driving Directions for more specific locations. We also offer door-to-door transportation from the airport, and for more information please contact Gabriel .

 
The federal highway in front of the airport takes you three-quarters of the way to our door. Then you make a left in Las Varas on to the state highway that brings you to the turn-off for our road. Your scenic drive north is about two hours, leading you through areas of old-growth jungle, coastal hills, typical Mexican towns, to the sandy road that leads here.
 
As you leave the airport parking lot, turn left leaving the toll booth and then bear right instead of returning to the terminal. Follow the signs for COMPOSTELA, which will take you the opposite direction from Puerto Vallarta. Merge onto Highway 200 in the direction of COMPOSTELA (TEPIC and GUADALAJARA). If you find yourself exiting the airport by the shopping center, turn left at the light in front of the shopping center (only with a green arrow), making a u-turn away from Puerto Vallarta. Follow Highway 200 for 84 km to LAS VARAS.

The first 21 km of the road from Puerto Vallarta toward Playa Las Tortugas is a four-lane highway which then becomes a federal two-lane highway, that is gradually being expanded to four lanes.

There are now several stoplights along this highway, including where you pass by Playa Los Ayala, Rincon de Guayabitos, and in Las Varas. Approaching the town of LAS VARAS, move into the right access lane, turn left at the second stoplight, and head toward SAN BLAS.

Our guests occasionally miss the turn in LAS VARAS so please pay close attention. When approaching LAS VARAS, move into the far right access lane (where there’s a sign for ZACUALPAN) in order to make a left at the second stoplight, toward ZACUALPAN and SAN BLAS. The town of LAS VARAS has several stoplights.  Turn at the second light when arriving from the direction of Vallarta and the airport.
 
For more exact directions including mileages / kilometers from Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, or Tepic/Mazatlan please click on the appropriate Printable Directions link in the left menu bar, just above. You can download or print the directions.

The “Tourism Corridor” Plan

A long-term “Tourism Corridor” program for Puerto Vallarta and the State of Nayarit, Mexico has been developed and is being instituted through the joint efforts of local, state, and federal government agencies.

The plan focuses on transforming the coast of Nayarit north of Puerto Vallarta up to San Blas into a sustainable tourism destination, now branded as the “Riviera Nayarit”.

The parts of Nayarit included in the plan are the municipalities of Bahia de Banderas (Bay of Banderas), Compostela, and San Blas. The total area considered by the plan in Nayarit is approximately 118,000 hectares or 303,000 acres.
 
Mexico’s national department for tourism development, FONATUR, the agency responsible for spear-heading development of Los Cabos, Cancún, Loreto, Huatulco and Ixtapa, is providing considerable support to help insure success of the “Tourism Corridor” plan.

Note that the versions of illustrations of the tourism corridor plan shown here are from 2002, and you will see that many of the projects forecasted have already been started, and even finished. As of December 2007 there are probably over a dozen 30-floor buildings either under construction or planned for the Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta areas, the marina at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle is essentially complete, the “Four Seasons” complex on Punta de Mita is well-developed, and the new resort area at Litibu is in advanced stages of construction.

Playa Las Tortugas, “Riviera Nayarit”

Playa Las Tortugas”, in its setting of 4 kilometers of coconut palm groves, is found in the heart of the rapidly growing “Riviera Nayarit”.  A significant level of new development is occurring within the “Tourism Corridor” area, and projects are being announced at an ever increasing pace. Click on the image below to see project locations.

Over the next 5 to 7 years there will be two very important tourism markets looking to enjoy the beaches of Nayarit.

While millions of “baby boomers” from northern climates are searching for their spot on the warm, sunny coasts of Mexico, there is also a burgeoning middle and upper-middle class in Mexico flexing their buying-power via increasingly competitive mortgage loans and interest rates.

The “Tourism Corridor” Overall Plan Strategy

Major Components of the “Tourism Corridor” Plan

The “Tourism Corridor” plan initially employs Puerto Vallarta, a traditional beach vacation center (CTP) with its international airport, to “jump-start” development of the first “Integral Tourism Projects” (PTI’s).

There are six initial PTI’s that comprise the most important areas to be developed, numbered as “PTI-1” through “PTI-6”. Two of the PTI’s (1 and 6) are made up of multiple locations.

Integral Tourism Project (PTI) 1
“PTI-1” includes Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta and Flamingos Vallarta projects, already well-advanced, and the expansion of the Puerto Vallarta International (PVR) Airport.

The airport expansion has been in process for several years. First a raised section of highway was installed to provide room below for better access, then a new departures check-in section was added to the terminal, and now a new set of gates and jetways are practically completed. The plan also calls for addition of another runway.

Integral Tourism Projects (PTI) 2 and 3
“PTI-2” is found on the north shore of Banderas Bay between Bucerias and Punta Mita (well-advanced including the new marina) and “PTI-3” is Punta de Mita, also well advanced with its world-class “Four Seasons” resort.

Integral Tourism Project (PTI) 4
The “PTI-4” includes an area just 18 kilometers south of “Playa Las Tortugas” known as “Boca Chila”. Numerous parcels of land have already been purchased by investors in the Boca Chila area and consolidated so that a development of significant size can be carried out. Adjacent to “Boca Chila” is Chacala and the “Marina Chacala” project where ocean front and ocean view lots have been developed and several homes from $1,800,000 to $2,500,000 USD are currently under construction.

Integral Tourism Project (PTI) 5
“PTI-5” is the “Lima de Abajo - Puerta de la Lima” area, north of Guayabitos/La Penita and south of Las Varas. This PTI includes Punta Naranjo, Boca el Naranjo, and Playa el Naranjo. A considerable amount of beachfront property has already been privatized and consolidated in anticipation of beginning development in “PTI-5”.

The road from Highway 200 has been paved down into the development area, and a new high-speed federal highway is approved (and the first section funded) to be constructed to access Nayarit beaches in this immediate area. The new highway connection to Puerta de la Lima will originate from the four-lane international highway near Jala (Jala is between Tepic and Guadalajara on the four-lane toll road) and terminate at Highway 200 near Puerta de la Lima.

This new highway will make for easy beach access from large metropolitan areas such as Guadalajara (more than 4 million population), Aguascalientes (more than 750,000 inhabitants), Leon (Leon-Silao more than 3 million residents) and other important inland cities, opening Nayarit beaches to Mexico’s growing middle and upper-middle classes. You can see the approximate highway location in the above plan, departing from Puerta de la Lima and headed right (east) just underneath the “SSR” label, as well as below. The illustration below originated from a file generated by the Secretary of Communications and Transport.

Integral Tourism Project (PTI) 6 Litibu/Punta Raza/Plataniots
“PTI-6” includes Litibu (well-advanced), Punta Raza (just beginning and to include world-class five-star hotels, marina & golf), an area north of Platanitos which is still in planning stages with some properties destined, and Jolotemba where there is a development project underway.

Integrally Planned Center (CIP) Chila/Naranjo/Las Varas

Above is another view of a portion of the proposed “Riviera Nayarit” tourism corridor plan, with Playa Las Tortugas seen at the upper side, that includes the PTI’s 4, 5, and 6 (Punta Raza). The dashed line encloses the “CIP” (Integrally Planned Center) and indicates an area of proposed major development, with three specific subareas denoted by “PTI-4”, “PTI-5” and “PTI-6” circles, and the town of Las Varas in a circle “SSR” (Subregional Services) as a center for employee housing and employee or tourism services.

Development is generally arriving from the south towards the north, or from bottom to top of the proposed plan. Currently under development are “Marina Chacala” and “Punta Raza”, as well as “Playa Las Tortugas”.

The plan provides for protection of the turtle-nesting habitat on beaches between Platanitos (Playa Las Tortugas) and Chacala, as well as protection of the estuary bordering Playa Las Tortugas as a “protected natural area”.

Note that the long-term plan also provides for an airport between Zacualpan and the coast, about 8 kilometers (about 5 miles) south of Playa Las Tortugas. There is an existing paved 1000 meter runway between La Penita and Lima de Abajo which is proposed to be extended to 1500 meters, in order to service a variety of private craft and smaller jets with capacities possibly up to 40 passengers. It is assumed that this runway will be expanded in time to help service the new Punta Raza development.

New Development at “Punta Raza”

A new development was announced this November at “Punta Raza” between Monteon and Los Ayala, just south of Guayabitos.

“Punta Raza” is located on the beach, 58 kilometers (36 miles) north of the Puerto Vallarta (PVR) International Airport and only 52 kilometers (32 miles) south of Playa Las Tortugas.

The developer is “C&C Capital” which is a consortium of successful Mexican companies dedicated to development of luxury tourism projects. They announced the “Punta Raza” project on November 7th, 2007 having acquired the land in November of 2006.

The first phase of development in “Punta Raza” contemplates installation of the roads and accesses, and also construction of two hotels which are the Gran Hyatt and Park Hyatt, a golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., and some residences. “C & C” is projecting that the two hotels and golf course will be ready for occupancy by December 2008, though possibly more realistically it will be during 2009.

Ultimately the project will have up to 6 luxury hotels, 950 residences, the golf course, and a 250-slip marina. The residential prices are expected to range from $500,000 to $2,000,000 USD. Carlos Brockmann, vice president of “C & C” says that now it is almost impossible to put together tracts of land this large [in the area].

This means we’ll see world-class golf within an hour of PLT probably in less than 2 years, and maybe in only 18 months. The new “Punta Raza” project, along with others in the quickly developing “Riviera Nayarit” will help make an investment at PLT more attractive financially.

Another positive result of the “Punta Raza” project is that the proposed alternate route from Puerto Vallarta to Monteon is now projected to be completed prior to the end of 2010. This alternate route will likely cut travel time from the PV airport bat least 20 minutes or more. The projected route leaves the four-lane north of the airport just before the Flamingo’s golf course and intersects the two-lane highway just south of Monteon, some 5-minutes south of Guayabitos.

Proposed Alternate Route from Puerto Vallarta to “Punta Raza”

The executive project (surveying and planning) is under way for a new highway which is proposed to run from near the Flamingos golf club outside of Puerto Vallarta to Highway 200 near “Punta Raza”. This highway will help save driving time to Playa Las Tortugas, by making a more direct route and avoiding coastal traffic bound for Punta Mita, Sayulita, San Pancho, and other points prior to Monteon. The developers of “Punta Raza” are helping to move the project forward, and estimate it will be completed by 2010.

Highway Projects Proposed or In-Process

A number of highway projects are proposed or in-process for the greater Puerto Vallarta - Riviera Nayarit area. Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit would both like to encourage more tourism from Guadalajara and Leon, where over 7 million live. Also, most retail and wholesale products come to Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit either via Guadalajara or down the coast from the north. The international highway from Nogales to Guadalajara is now practically 100% four-lane highway, with just a small stretch between Mazatlan and Tepic in the final stages of construction.

The Secretary of Communications and Transport (SCT) has a number of projects in or near completion of their design phases, including projects which will provide better highway access from Puerto Vallarta to Guadalajara. Three proposals address an alternate route from the greater Puerto Vallarta area to a point just south of Rincon de Guayabitos, a bypass around Guayabitos and La Penita up to Puerta de la Lima, and a route from Puerto de la Lima to Jala (Tepi - Guadalajara highway). You’ll see the bypass indicated in the PTI-6 Punta Raza plan, from Monteon to just above La Penita. The new route from Puerto Vallarta to Monteon is indicated in the “CTP” plan, though that route is expected to be modified somewhat. Some of these highway projects may initially be funded with money from the private sector, operated as toll roads, and then sold to the federal government at a later date.

The Nayarit state government is also encouraging a number of highway improvement projects, some of which are already being built, and some of which have topography and construction plans completed. Many of the proposed projects are targeted at helping increase access for tourism.

Travel & Outdoors | March 2007 CNN: Riviera Nayarit Poised to Become a Premier Vacation Destination

“Apple Vacations, the nation’s leading tour operator to Mexico, was honored this week for its contributions to tourism development in Mexico, specifically in the State of Nayarit, located just north of Puerto Vallarta on the central West Coast of Mexico. The award was presented by Governor Ney Gonzalez Sanchez of the State of Nayarit, which is poised to become the one of the leading new tourism destinations in Mexico.

“Receiving the accolades, Apple Vacations’ Chairman and C.E.O. John Mullen noted the tremendous growth opportunities for travel to this developing region of Mexico.

“With the continued planned development in this emerging vacation destination, Apple Vacations will support the State of Nayarit with a commitment to double the number of passengers to the region within the next five years.

“Part of the support includes an increase in the number of dedicated charter flights from U.S. cities to Western Mexico, and plans to offer new nonstop flying from East Coast gateways including Philadelphia and Baltimore. This is in addition to nearly 20 weekly flights from Cleveland, Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Dallas.

“A recent visit to Philadelphia by Governor Sanchez and other state officials, including the Minister of Tourism, marked the official launch of a major initiative, the introduction of a distinct new tourism region known as Riviera Nayarit.

“Riviera Nayarit, just north of world-famous Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific Coast, is largely undeveloped and is being carefully planned to ensure the natural resources are protected. Stretching from Punta de Mita all the way to the ancient fortress of San Blas, Riviera Nayarit provides a more laid back vacation experience. Eco-tourists can discover mangroves and habitats for hundreds of birds, dolphins and sea turtles. Accommodations are built with the utmost care in preserving the ecosystem, and range from quaint posadas on the beach to upscale luxury resorts. Activities include its world-renowned surfing, shopping at boutiques featuring local artwork and traditional handicrafts, golf, whale watching, hiking, horseback riding, and endless miles of unspoiled beaches and golden coastline waiting to be discovered.

“‘The tourism development in Riviera Nayarit is on par with what we saw happen in Quintana Roo, with the development of Riviera Maya over a decade ago,’ said Mullen. ‘This is where vacationers will want to go—it is the ‘new’ Mexico and Apple Vacations plans to be at the forefront of bringing passengers to this exciting, up and coming region.’”

Riviera Nayarit, Tourist Destination in Mexico | March 2007

“Nayarit Governor Ney Gonzalez Sanchez officially announced Costa Vallarta’s North Shore rebranding as Riviera Nayarit at the recent Acapulco Travel Wholesalers Convention.

“Riviera Nayarit consists of a 160 kilometers stretch that spans Banderas Bay, Compostela and San Blas. Spectacular natural settings and diverse tourism-appealing areas will coexist with planned developments that include a hotel zone which will encourage the arrival of national and international premium tourism. Riviera Nayarit’s growth is planned in a responsible and sustainable tourism model that will include ecotourism, cultural activities, adventure options, golf, whalewatching, fishing, gastronomy, diving, and much more.

“Riviera Nayarit has so far developed 12 thousand hotel rooms, 60% ranging from 4-star hotels to Gran Turismo. More than 490 million dollars has been invested during this year. Litibu, an important project that is already in construction, is an Integral Planned Center developed by the National Tourism Office (Fonatur). A sophisticated development, Litibu includes boutique hotels, a marina, heliport, hospitals, shopping malls, and a Greg Norman-designed golf course, presently in the final phase of construction, expected to open during the summer months.”

On some nights there are thousands of hatchlings to return to the ocean. For many of our visitors, going on turtle patrol and releasing the newly-hatched baby turtles is the highlight of their stay.

On the night of August 31st, 2007 a new record was established when 106 female turtles came up to lay nests, and 89 nests were collected with more than 8000 eggs. The nests were collected by personnel from the Camp including Veterinarian Miguel Angel Flores Peregrina, Carlos Rios Chavez, and people from the community participating in a special program. The previous record for one night was 42 nests during 2005, and 36 nests during 2000. This is very strong evidence that the efforts of the turtle conservation project are having a positive effect on the sea turtle population.

Sea turtles need our help.

Decades of commercialized hunting of the now endangered sea turtles for meat, eggs, and shells, have seriously diminished their numbers.

While man is clearly responsible for the sea turtle’s place on the infamous “endangered” list, there are few creatures on earth who experience such low survival rates—a mere 1% to 2% normally reach adulthood. The Sea Turtle Conservation Camp at Playa Las Tortugas is committed to improving the odds.

México is fortunate to be host to a majority of the species of sea turtles. Three species come to nest here on the Costa Tortuga, 70 miles north of Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific coast. The Turtle Camp provides an opportunity to witness and participate in a variety of natural wonders such as the incredible rush to the sea by the baby turtles.

Education is the key.

The Sea Turtle Conservation Camp is dedicated to educating especially the children—to teach them the importance not only of sea turtles but all creatures on our earth. The Camp staff, working on behalf of Mexico’s National Commission of Protected Areas, reaches out to the neighboring local schoolteachers and students and has already begun to to educate them on environmental issues. Volunteers and visitors to the Camp also have the opportunity to learn how they can help protect sea turtles.
 

Eco-tourism is one of the fastest growing aspects of the travel industry. The Turtle Camp offers the possibility to eco-tourists of learning about the work performed by the Camp, participating in patrol of the beach to gather nests, helping to prepare nests for release, and the release of hatchlings.
 
As the Camp grows, they plan to invite professionals to teach educational programs.

Information About Sea Turtles

Sea Turtles are vertebrates belonging to the Reptile class and Chelonidae family. They are policotherms and ectotherms, so their body activity is dependent on the ambient temperature, and so for this reason the turtles are distributed in tropical and subtropical waters of the world.
 
There are three species of sea turtle that nest on this beach, with the Olive Ridley being predominant.
 
Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
Spanish name: Tortuga Golfina
Latin Name: Lepidochelys Olivacea
Status: Endangered
Average Size: 66 cm long and 41 kg
Special Features: Most abundant of all sea turtles
Nesting Period: July to December

Olive Ridley Sea Turtles

Life in the Sea

Sea turtles pass the majority of their life in the sea. Studies using satellite-tracking devices have demonstrated that on average a sea turtle remains 0.03 % of its life cycle on land for reproductive activities and the other 99.97 % of the time is spent in the sea. Of course, this is only the case for the females; the males never leave the sea. The majority of studies on the sea turtles, however, have centred on the time spent on the beach. Therefore, there is still little understood about the mechanisms of orientation and navigation in the open sea through which the Olive Ridley sea turtles return to the same beach on which they were born to nest, migrating 1000’s km between their feeding grounds to these nesting beaches.
 
There are several proposed mechanisms of orientation and navigation for the Olive Ridley sea turtles:

• Chemo sensitivity: The ability to detect very small concentrations of chemicals from the nesting beach in the water. Indeed this phenomenon has been demonstrated in the Green turtles (Chelonia mydas).
• Wave Sensitivity: The ability to utilize geo-magnetic fields of the Earth, distinguishing between maximum and minimum fields in the bottom of the ocean that occur in areas of dispersion of the marine plates. This idea is supported by the knowledge that nesting beaches are situated in areas of energy discharge and elevated magnetism.
• Genetics: Studies on the DNA of a population of Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) that nest exclusively on Ascension Island have shown homologies between the DNA of this population that are different to other colonies of Green sea turtles.
 
Feeding and Nutrition

Olive Ridley sea turtles are facultative carnivores. They will feed on whatever is available, and studies in Mexico assessing the stomach contents of these animals have demonstrated a varied diet of fish, jellyfish, crustaceans, molluscs, algae, fish eggs and marine maggots.
 
Reproduction

This species of sea turtle usually migrates along the continental platforms, feeding in shallow waters, and converging in the summer and autumn for nesting on beaches in tropical continents. Olive Ridley sea turtles reach sexual maturity at 7 to 9 years old, and approximately 60 % of the population nest annually, 29 % every 2 years and 11 % every 3 years, the frequency being affected by the amount of food available and the distance of migration between feeding and reproductive grounds.

At the start of the nesting period, the groups congregate and direct themselves towards their respective nesting beaches; initially the females arrive, shortly followed by the males. Sexual reproduction generally occurs near the nesting areas. The male embraces and holds the female strongly below him, utilizing his anterior fins and in moderation his posterior fins, his penis protrudes from his tail and is inserted into the female, and they remain in this way for 2 hours. One female can mate with many males before moving to the beach for egg laying.
 
Nesting

After mating the females move to the nesting beach to lay their eggs. The nesting of Olive Ridley sea turtles can be divided into the following phases.

1. Emergence
The sea turtles emerge from the water, encountering the beach, and search for a nesting site.
2. & 3. Excavation
Turtles dig a ditch in which the eggs will be laid. Initially, (stage 2.) all the fins are used to form the ditch, and in the final phases (stage 3.) the form and depth is achieved using the posterior fins in a manner of small shovels for digging and compacting the sand.

4. Egg Laying
Whilst egg laying, the turtles remain immobile and can be measured or marked and eggs can be collected by man. The eggs fall into the hole in groups of 2 or 3 eggs at regular intervals accompanied by protective mucus, which contains an active anti-bacterial agent. During this phase the anterior fins of the turtle are totally extended and the posterior fins are gracefully extended flanking the mouth of the nest. Each Olive Ridley sea turtle lays an average of 105 eggs per nest. Each egg is white, about 40 mm in diameter and 39 g in weight; they look very similar to table tennis balls.
5. Covering Up
After the egg laying is completed, the females commence to cover up the nest, introducing and compacting sand with its posterior fins and throwing at the same time sand with its anterior fins. Finally, the turtle compacts the whole nest with its whole body weight, producing a peculiar sounds in the beach. Before leaving the female walks several times over the nest, hiding the tracks and the exact location of the site.
6. The Return
At the end of the process the female returns to the sea. The average duration of the process for the Olive Ridley species is about 1 hour.

Positive Conservation Effort Results

As shown by results over the last 11 years, the Turtle Camp is having a positive influence on the sea turtle population, and with your help the results can get even better.

Please note that there are nesting cycles which seem to span several years and therefore results typically rise over a period of years and not necessarily annually; also, results can be affected by the funding available in certain years.
 
The overall rate of incubation for the 11 year period from 1995 to 2005 is 78% !!
 

Long Range Goal

Our long-range goal is to have the Camp continually staffed year-round. While sea turtle conservation is currently the principal concern, having a full staff year round would allow the Camp to work on added preservation projects such as protection of waterfowl and other inhabitants of the adjacent mangrove-filled estuary during the months when turtles are not nesting. We would like to see the Camp become a self-sustaining center for wildlife conservation, education and investigation, particularly regarding the marine turtle; with adequate fiscal and human resources to protect the surrounding natural resources via a network of volunteer, educational, and ecotourism programs.
 

Other Camp Goals

Other Camp goals include to enhance the technical sea turtle programs. To this end it need funds for: nest storage and monitoring equipment for the incubation areas; tagging equipment; and sponsorship of several volunteers to work in the Camp who can not pay their own costs. The University of Guadalajara and “Selva Negra” (a non-profit organization sponsored in part by the singing group “Mana") have both been helping with volunteers and “Selva Negra” also assists with some funding, food and supplies.
 

Reaching the Goals

To reach these goals the Camp seeks volunteers, and donations from individuals, companies, and foundations via the world wide web, mailings, and personal networking.
 

Please help by becoming a volunteer or by making Donations to provision the Camp, sponsor a volunteer, or allow the Camp to purchase needed equipment.