Noticias

Miches, Dominican Republic – September 1, 2026.

Guillermo Sosa Amparo knows the beach in a way few people can match. At 57 years old, he knows how to interpret tracks in the sand, recognize where a sea turtle may have laid a nest, and understand signs that would go unnoticed by others.

For years, that knowledge served a very different purpose: Guillermo was a huevero, the term used in these communities for people who searched for nests to collect their eggs. Today, he does exactly the opposite.

He is now one of Protortuga’s coastal monitors and is recognized by his colleagues as the person who knows the most about the turtles and the beaches they patrol. Among the team are young people in their early twenties who are now learning from a man whose knowledge of the territory was acquired at a time when the relationship with these animals was shaped by exploitation rather than conservation.

His story reflects one of the most significant changes to take place along this stretch of the Dominican Republic’s eastern coast: people from the same communities where turtle eggs were collected for decades are now on the front lines of sea turtle protection.

Protortuga currently works along the beaches of Limón, Celedonio, Esmeralda, and La Vacama. Three species use this coastline for nesting: the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), and the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata). The program combines surveillance patrols, nest identification and protection, hatch monitoring, hatchling releases, and the collection of scientific data.

For José Manuel Pérez, a monitor at Celedonio Beach, the greatest satisfaction comes from recovering a nest and helping as many turtles as possible hatch successfully.

Achieving that result requires waking up before dawn, walking kilometers of beach, and often working at night. It also means confronting threats that have not disappeared entirely.

From 90% Poached to Nearly All Protected

When organized conservation efforts began, egg poaching was the main threat. According to information gathered by the program from former egg collectors, it was estimated that around 90% of the eggs were taken before systematic monitoring was introduced.

The situation has changed considerably. Protortuga estimates that it now protects approximately 95% of the eggs recorded on the monitored beaches and achieved a 97.5% protection rate against poaching in 2025.

The decline in poaching has made other threats more visible, including erosion, excessive moisture and runoff, root intrusion into nests, and feral animals, particularly dogs.

The monitors emphasize, however, that surveillance must remain constant. Walking the beaches every day continues to be one of the most effective ways to prevent nest losses.

They have also noticed a change beyond the monitoring team itself. People who might once have remained indifferent to a turtle now call when they find a stranded animal or alert the team to situations that could pose a risk. For those who have spent years working in these communities, that response is part of a gradual transformation in the way people view sea turtles.

An Effort That Began Before Protortuga

The current structure did not emerge from scratch.

In 2018, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources began sea turtle monitoring and protection efforts in Miches through its local staff, led by Yonattan Mercado, who works for the institution and manages the Laguna Redonda and Laguna Limón Scientific Reserves.

Promiches began supporting those efforts in 2021, providing resources and coordinating participation from the private sector. In 2023, Protortuga was formally created, incorporating specialized technical guidance and organizing the work under a structured program. At the end of that season, Promiches and the Ministry of Environment signed an agreement for the joint implementation of the initiative.

The partnership establishes clearly differentiated responsibilities. Promiches manages the program’s administrative and operational activities, coordinates with companies, and mobilizes resources, while the Ministry provides the institutional, regulatory, and technical support required for research, management, and conservation activities.

The inclusion of people from local communities is a central part of the model. Between 2023 and 2025, the program generated 19 coastal monitor contracts and allocated just over RD$2 million to these local jobs.

Beyond the economic income, the result is that knowledge passed down through generations within these communities—about the beaches, tides, and turtle behavior—is now being combined with scientific protocols and passed on to a younger generation.

More Science Behind Every Nest

The work has also become progressively more technical.

Each year, monitors receive training in nest management, nest exhumations, and hatchling releases. The program has introduced both in situ and ex situ hatcheries for nests threatened by poaching, erosion, flooding, or other risks, as well as instruments to monitor temperature and humidity during incubation.

The program currently collects GPS coordinates, species identification, biometric data, nest characteristics and location, distance from vegetation and the high-tide line, environmental conditions, number of eggs, temperature, humidity, hatching success, mortality, and identified threats.

The program is also moving toward the use of EarthRanger to digitize and georeference data directly from the field.

The accumulated results reflect these efforts. Between 2023 and 2025, Protortuga reported 7,593 protected eggs and 3,018 hatchlings that successfully emerged and were released into the sea. During this period, the number of protected eggs increased from 1,562 in 2023 to 3,106 in 2025.

Conservation Financed by the Destination Itself

One distinctive feature of the program is that a significant portion of its resources comes from companies connected to the growth of tourism in Miches.

In 2026, Promiches created the Miches Conservation Fund to channel private-sector contributions toward projects focused on conservation, restoration, and the management of marine and coastal ecosystems. Protortuga is one of the initiatives supported through this mechanism.

Sponsors of the Fund include Tropicalia; Zemi Miches All-Inclusive Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton; Secrets Playa Esmeralda Resort & Spa; Dreams Playa Esmeralda; Viva Miches by Wyndham; YANUNA; Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda; Jimagua; El Cedro Eco Tours; Ferricentro; Yaster Graph; Wild District; Alquisolsa; Arena Tours; and AION.

The model seeks to ensure that part of the resources generated around a growing tourism destination are reinvested in the territory through conservation. Promiches also plans to use these contributions as matching funds to attract additional financing from nongovernmental organizations and international institutions.

This approach is particularly relevant in Miches, where beaches, dunes, wetlands, coral reefs, and seagrass beds are not only part of the area’s natural heritage, but also form a significant part of the appeal upon which the tourism destination is being developed.

They Still Patrol the Beaches on Their Own Motorcycles

The increasing sophistication of the program contrasts with some very basic needs.

The monitors continue to use their own motorcycles to travel between the beaches. Protortuga estimates that it would need approximately seven motorcycles to improve coverage and reduce response times. The team also needs mobile phones and communication equipment to record field information and make systematic use of new digital tools.

Continuity is precisely one of the main concerns of those carrying out the work every day. Nest conservation depends on returning every morning, walking the beach again, and maintaining a presence that prevents practices that have declined from gaining ground once more.

Along these daily patrols, Guillermo may represent one of the clearest signs that something has changed.

The man who spent years learning where to look for eggs is now the one teaching younger monitors where to find them so they can protect them.

The knowledge remains the same. What has changed is how it is used.

Marvin del Cid
Diario Libre