Tortugas

It's a ritual older than man's history on the planet. Thousands of female marine turtles will laboriously drag themselves from the sea onto the beaches to lay their eggs.

They arrive during the late evening and through the night. The female will dig a hole in the sand and deposit an average of 100 eggs, then she meticulously covers the nest before returning to the sea. The process takes about one hour.

The species most commonly seen along the coast of Oaxaca is the Olive Ridley, although the Leatherback and the Black turtle also inhabit these waters.

The Olive Ridley, which has a life span of up to 35 years, begins to procreate at eight to 10 years of age. The females may, during the course of the season, nest up to three times. The incubation period is 45 days.

During the course of the season an enormous number of eggs are produced, but only 3 to 4 percent of the hatchlings will reach maturity.

And, although it is against the law, nests on unprotected beaches are routinely raided for the eggs. Dogs also destroy nests; pollution and environmental factors further reduce the turtle population.

These magnificent creatures, which scientists estimate have been on Earth for 150 million years, were being harvested to near extinction. In 1990 the Mexican government afforded marine turtles total protection, making it illegal to kill or even harm these creatures. Shortly thereafter the Mexican Turtle Center was formed, under the aegis of the National Fisheries Institute, to study and protect the species and to raise consciousness about the importance of conservation efforts.

Today the Mexican Turtle Center (CMT) belongs to the National Commission on Natural Protected Areas, part of the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources. The Center has a new director, veterinarian Manelik Olivera Martínez, a Oaxaca native and former onsite beach turtle inspector.

"In the 15 years since the center's founding, we can report that we have succeeded in stabilizing the population of the Olive Ridley," says Sr. Olivera. However, he adds, "the Leatherneck and the Black are still in serious danger of extinction."

Oaxaca is a model for the nation in turtle conservation. No other state on either coast experiences the turtle influx, although generations ago turtle nesting was common along both litorals.

CMT centers its conservation efforts on three Oaxacan beaches which are all monitored and protected from encroachment: La Escobilla, Barra de la Cruz and Morro Agua. Few visitors get too see the awesome spectacle of "an arrival", when literally thousands of the creatures cover the sands.

But a trip to the CMT and its museum and visitors centers is the next best thing. The center includes an aquarium displaying all varieties of marine turtles found in Mexico as well as some land and fresh water varieties. The guided tours will tell you more about the local nesting cycle. There is a restaurant, gift store and displays of other local fauna and cultural artifacts.

The center is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m Wednesday through Saturday; Sundays 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Closed Tuesdays. Admission is $15 pesos. Tel: 958 584 3376 website: www.conanp.gob.mx

Ironically Mazunte was a major center for harvesting the animals. Some 50,000 turtles were slaughtered each year, and their weathered white bones and shells were strewn about for the tides and storms to remove.

This clean and attractive village is also home to the Natural Cosmetics Cooperative, formed to provide a livelihood for local families after turtles were placed under federal protection. Mazunte is about an hour and a half from Puerto on the route to Puerto Angel via San Antonio.