SEE Turtles

We take people to Colola Beach in Mexico, but the story behind this place is honestly just as incredible as the experience!

The black turtle, a population of the green sea turtle found only in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, was once pushed to the brink of extinction. In the 1960s and ’70s, tens of thousands were harvested for meat and eggs. At the peak, up to 70,000 eggs were taken per night. Nesting females crashed from around 25,000 to fewer than 200 by the late 1980s.

In 1982, a coalition between the University of Michoacán, the Nahua communities of Maruata and Colola, and conservation partners set out to reverse that decline. Night patrols began, with local families—especially children—collecting eggs and relocating them to protected hatcheries. Many of those kids are now leaders in the program today.

And it worked.

In the 2024–25 season alone, about 350,000 eggs were protected and more than 2.6 million hatchlings were released.

Today, Colola is one of the most important sea turtle nesting beaches in the world—and a powerful example of community-led conservation.

Want to join us on a trip January 9 - 15, 2027? https://www.seeturtles.org/colola

Read more about Colola Beach: https://www.seeturtles.org/turtle-blog/colola

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

What did you do for yesterday?

Check out this piece by Mongabay.com:

World Turtle Day: Important conservation wins amid turtle extinction crisis World Turtle Day is celebrated every May 23 to raise awareness about the threats faced by turtles and tortoises. Turtles, tortoises and terrapins, which together make up the order Testudines, have evolved over millions of years, dating back to the Triassic period. However, recent reports show that m...

It may seem early to think about 2027, but these trips fill fast and spots don’t last long.

At Colola Beach, you’ll witness one of the most incredible wildlife events on the planet! This beach is home to the black turtle population of the green sea turtle—a conservation success story that’s rebounded from just 500 nests in 1999 to more than 60,000 each year, producing millions of hatchlings each season.

And this isn’t just a front-row seat because YOU are part of the work.

Join researchers and local conservationists to measure nesting turtles, help protect and relocate nests, and release hatchlings into the ocean. On past trips, we’ve averaged ~300 nests and around 2,000 hatchlings released per night.

Led by SEE Turtles Program Director Adriana Cortes alongside local partners, this is hands-on conservation in one of the world’s most important nesting sites.

If it’s on your list—don’t wait. 👇
https://www.seeturtles.org/colola

We recently acquired EcoTeach, but our history goes way back.

Our co-founder and president Brad Nahill first went to volunteer on a turtle project in Costa Rica through an EcoTeach trip in 1999. By 2001, EcoTeach was helping fund early leatherback sea turtle conservation efforts there, led by Nahill.

Since 2008, SEE Turtles and EcoTeach have run 40+ trips together, bringing nearly 500 travelers and raising $250,000+ for conservation and coastal communities.

Read more about our EcoTeach acquisition: https://www.seeturtles.org/turtle-blog/ecoteach