The Los Cabos area in Mexico is well known for its pristine shoreline and clear blue seas. It is also home to the last private preserve for the nesting beaches of endangered sea turtles, the San Cristobal Nature Preserve.
However, since July last year the preserve has been under threat from a Sinaloa-based company hoping to develop on approximately 750 acres of the precious land. The company, with the help of corrupt government officials, was able to successfully register falsified land deeds in order to claim the land and have since been attempting to clear it for development.
Rene Pinal, owner of the preserve and founder of the non-profit organization ASUPMATOMA (Association for the Environment and the Marine Turtle in Southern Baja) is battling with the company to prevent them from bulldozing and building on his property that consists of more than three miles of the pristine shoreline.
Pinal and his group are determined to regain control of the land to keep the preserve intact while continuing their efforts to protect the sea turtles that come ashore to nest each year. For nearly two decades they have dedicated their lives to protecting endangered sea turtles in the area, which have lost most of their habitat to hotels and resorts that now cover the shoreline, as well as becoming victims of illegal hunting and fishing, beachfront lighting and pollution.
On the private San Cristobal preserve, biologists teach children in the area’s schools about turtles, and how these creatures that date back to the time of the dinosaurs are now endangered. ASUPMATOMA also teaches the public about sea turtles and other environmental issues, in addition to providing tours of the preserves and opportunities for the public to interact with the sea turtles.
The estate, while primarily undeveloped, also contains a very low-density real estate subdivision that relies on alternative energy such as solar and wind, and turtle-friendly low sodium yellow lights that lessen impact on nesting turtles and hatchlings.
Pinal feels strongly that the best way to prevent the development of this nesting beach is to bring the land dispute to the public’s attention. “Last year, on this shoreline, ASUPMATOMA protected 562 nests containing 59,361 eggs,” he said. “In result, 41,684 newborn baby sea turtles were released to the sea with the help of nearly 2,000 children who participated in the sea turtle rescue efforts and ASUPMATOMA’s Environmental Education Program.”
He continued, “If that were to stop, not only do the turtles lose, but so do we, as well as future generations. With the development of the coastline and beach traffic, the turtles have nowhere to nest.”
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