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At the southeast corner of Playa Viva, an all-volunteer staff, comprised of members of the local community, has set up a turtle sanctuary. These are fisherman and farmers who recognized the damage being done to the local turtle population and decided to make a difference. This group took on the name "La Tortuga Feliz" or "The Happy Turtle" and obtained training from the Mexican Department for the Protection of Endangered Species. La Tortuga Feliz set up camp at the edge of the estuary because it's close to the seasonal breeding grounds of this ancient animal, and has access to fresh water, which is used to keep the nests damp. In 2006, their team collected over 214,000 turtle eggs.

As a Playa Viva guest, you'll be able to join La Tortuga Feliz in their night patrols down the beach, searching for turtle tracks that lead to large green turtles laying their eggs. You'll help them collect and count eggs, then return with them back to the sanctuary where they are buried in a safe nesting place. The next morning, you'll help collect the hatched turtles from each nest, count them, and take them down the beach where predators are less likely to find them. The baby turtles will instinctively scamper into the waves, toward their new lives of roaming the open ocean. Participating in the protection of an endangered species is one of the great opportunities we offer at Playa Viva.