This is Israel on his soap-box talking to a group of biology students. He is probably telling them all about the conservation of turtles at the Mayto Campamento. In the foreground is a rather faded municipal sign which gives the promise of 'protection and conservation of marine turtles'. This is a hope which is fading as quickly as the sign itself. We are seeing dead turtles on the beach daily. Predation of eggs and baby turtles is a regular occurrence, and future development of hotels and appartments for tourism is expected. The improvement of the road into Mayto itself presents a threat to the area. We have, in our time here, released thousands and thousand of baby turtles back into the ocean. It has been rewarding work which promises a healthy increase to the numbers in the sea, and the turtles are our friends. However, I wonder what the females that survive, and come back to lay eggs on this beach in 10 to 12 years, time will find. The wild beach we see today will have changed. Will these primative creatures adapt and make themselves a place to exist amongst the quadbikes and speedboats?
We only have a few days left in Mayto and then we will be travelling back to Puerta Vallarta on Thursday ready for the rest of our journey up the north of Mexico.
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