• Study indicates that a 95% of the turtle nests are plundered • The tourist police propose to organize groups for patrolling and are searching volunteers Guiones – During the early morning on Saturday 4 September, 12 sea turtles arrived on Playa Guiones to dig their nests and lay their eggs.  By 5:30 AM all the eggs had been taken. Photo by Rolf Summer

According to a witness (who preferred not to be identified), several people approached and stole the eggs, some on foot and others on motorcycles. This is illegal due to the status of "species in danger of extinction" of the Olive Ridley Turtle. According to biologist Laura Brenes, administrator of MINAET, Ostional, the waters off Playa Guiones are part of the National Marine Refuge Ostional, where the turtles copulate and feed themselves and then head north, several kilometers, to participate in the famous "arribadas" (the arrival of tens of thousands of turtles) on Playa Ostional, and lay their eggs. Although in smaller quantity, the turtles also lay their eggs on Playas Guiones and Pelada.
 
According to a non-official study carried out in the 2008 by volunteers of the Association of Volunteers for the Service in Areas Protected of Costa Rica (ASVO), 95% of the olive ridley turtle nests were plundered on Guiones. If this continues, the turtles, who return to their birth beach after almost 20 years, will no longer exist and thus endanger the status of the Refuge on these two beaches. 

Jason Vargas, chief of the Nosara Tourist Police, said that "we would like to initiate a group of patrols during the early mornings on Playa Guiones to protect the nests, without endangering the security of the community". Anyone interested in participating in this project should call him at 2682-0075.