Turtle Tribe

Turtle eggs are a delicacy in rural Nicaragua. Specifically, a fresh cracked yolk mixed with orange juice is one of the most coveted beverages a villager can find. 

Each year, endangered Olive Ridley Turtles return to where they were born to lay their eggs. Likewise, every night during egg laying season, treasure hunters scour the beach for signs of turtle nests. Finding a single nest of eggs will fetch a price equivalent to a week’s worth of grueling manual labor.

As this practice continues, the number of sea turtles decline. Without turtles to control the population of jellyfish, the amount of fish dwindles. As a result, the locals who rely on fishing as a way of life suffer.

Water & Light Int. works to reverse this pattern by rescuing nests of Olive Ridleys and educating the next generation of Nicaraguans about the importance of conservation.