How Native community and a Mexican university are bringing a population back from the brink

When we think of sea turtle conservation, stories of loss often take center stage—declining populations, disappearing habitats, and rising threats. But on the remote beaches of Western Mexico, one turtle’s story is different. Thanks to decades of work by scientists, Indigenous communities, and international partners, the black sea turtle (Chelonia mydas agassizii) has made a remarkable comeback.

This effort is led by the Nahua Indigenous community with support from the Black Turtle Recovery Program at the University of Michoacán Mexico, under the leadership of biologist Carlos Delgado Trejo. It is considered one of the most successful sea turtle conservation projects in the world.

The waters surrounding the Baja California peninsula, including the Gulf of California, are Mexico’s most important fishing grounds. They are also critical habitat for five species of sea turtles classified as endangered or threatened: black, loggerhead, hawksbill, olive ridley, and leatherback. Among them, the black turtle, known locally as tortuga prieta, is the most common. Historically, it has been one of the region’s most important native animals, playing a key role in the local ecology, culture, and economy.

Once considered nearly extinct, the black turtle is a subpopuulation of the green turtle, found only in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. In the 1960s and 70s, these turtles were harvested by the tens of thousands along the coast of Mexico—mostly for their meat and eggs. At the height of exploitation, an estimated 70,000 eggs were taken per night during peak nesting. Nesting female numbers crashed from 25,000 to fewer than 200 by the late 1980s.

Something had to change. And it did.

Young Nahua turtle protectors. Photo by Juan Ma Contortrix.

In 1982, a coalition formed between the University of Michoacán, the Nahua Indigenous communities of Maruata and Colola, and both national and international partners. Their goal: restore the black turtle population along this critical stretch of coastline.

University biologists and the Nahua community began nighttime beach patrols, paying local children to collect eggs and bring them them to protected hatcheries. Once hatched, the young turtles were released into the ocean. urtles had long been a food source and source of income for this community. Now those kids are the local leaders of the program including Angelo Oliveros Ramirez, Russell Leiva, Hector Diaz Orcino, Jose Luis Leiva Valencia, and others.

To make conservation sustainable, the program promots alternative livelihoods—like iguana farming, home gardens, and turtle-based ecotourism. This shift helped communities earn income by protecting turtles rather than harvesting them. The model was simple but powerful: living turtles are worth more than dead ones.

Today, the black turtle is thriving at Colola. In recent years, nesting numbers have averaged more than 30,000 nests per season, with more than 10,000 estimated nesting females—up from just a few hundred in the 1980s. The population is now considered one of the 12 healthiest sea turtle populations in the world.

For instance, in the 2024-25 nesting season, close to 350,000 black turtle eggs were protected in Colola hatcheries, according to a report by Delgado Trejo. It is estimated that a total of 2,627,140 sea turtle hatchlings were released during this season.

Dr. Carlos Delgado of the University of Michoacan with SEE Turtles President Brad Nahill. Photo: Juan Ma Contortrix.

Delgado Trejo continues his research at the university, focusing on the biology and ecology of sea turtles. A major goal of this work has been to better understand the long-distance seasonal migrations these reptiles make between feeding grounds and nesting beaches. Tracking the timing and routes of these movements is key to understanding more about their reproductive and identifying the conservation measures needed to protect them.

SEE Turtles has played a part in that success by funding the nesting beach work, as part of our Billion Baby Turtles program. The funds go towards paying local residents to patrol important turtle nesting beaches, protecting turtles that come up to nest. In 2013, the first year we worked with Colola, we gave the project a $3,000 grant, which helped save 40,000 hatchlings. To date, SEE Turtles has provided a total of 13 grants totaling US $100,000 in funding which has helped to save more than 14 million hatchlings at this important beach!

SEE Turtles also brings travelers to visit this extraordinary beach through our Sea Turtle Conservation Tours. Our Colola trip has brought 4 groups since 2019 to participate in this work. To date, we have brought 47 people and generated more that US $50,000 in benefits, including $28,000 raised for turtle conservation and $22,000 spent in the local community.

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