In May, Dustin Baumbach and Steve Dunbar went to El Venado to begin a study on East-Pacific Hawksbills. However, Dustin was unable to find any Hawksbills in the area, despite searching the south part of the Gulf of Fonseca for 10 weeks.
On the second day we were at El Venado looking for Hawksbills, some of the community members reported a 'Hawksbill' they had captured in the estuary. The captured turtle turned out, instead, to be a Green turtle.
El Venado Turtle Research and Conservation Center with its growing infrastructure including the improved dining facilities on the right.
Two of the community members helped to burry eggs collected from the beach during the first nights of September. Danilo (top) has worked on other turtle projects previously.
The hatchery with the sign boards showing the date and time when the eggs were collected and buried.
Gaby Ochoa (L) and Enrique Vijil (R) look on as a nest is buried.
Children are playing on a school day in El Venado.
Punta Raton
The old center at Punta Raton continues to be destroyed by the increasing high tide which damaged the foundation of the building.
The view from the center out to the ocean where the bird tower remain standing.
Much of the beach forest has been washed away from the entire coastal area at the south end of Punta Raton.