We set our alarm for 6am this morning - the turtles have been hatching on the beach of Los Barriles and are now safely being released by the good folk here who make sure their legend lives on.
We had to be there by 7 and its a good half hour run from Casa Azul along the beach in our ATV, coffee in flask on hand.
The protected enclosure is not much bigger than 12'x18' but already, in the past 2 days, over 600 baby Olive Wrigley turtles have been released!
We watched as they gently lifted them out of their nests into a large plastic container and then carried them close to the waters edge where they tipped the container and the cute little guys came wobbling out onto the sand.
They follow the sunshine as they make their way down to the water and its hard work as they scramble over the sand and in and out of the footprints we have left.
And then the waves break and wash up onto shore and take the little ones back up the beach to start all over again...
it was so hard to watch...
so tempting to pick them up and help them...
kinda like when we watch someone we love struggling in life and want so desperately to rescue them but know that by not doing that they will be stronger and better prepared for the journey ahead!
Eventually all 250 of todays release were safely in the water ...
I wished I had brought my goggles and flippers so I could get into the water too and watch what happened next...
and then I thought perhaps better not to as we watched a heron fly over...
We took our leave.
We were tickled pink by the whole experience...
and happy to hear they will return to this same spot to lay their eggs in the future.
We now have a regular place to watch this miracle take place!