Having spearheaded shark and fisheries
research along mainland Ecuador for several years, in 2008 Equilibrio Azul conducted sea turtle monitoring at several beaches
within Machalilla National Park. To their surprise they found dozens of hawksbill nests at a small beach called 'La
Playita' or 'The Little Beach'.
Since making the discoveries, Equilibrio
Azul has established a permanent conservation project at La Playita, the most important hawksbill nesting site identified
to date along the Pacific Coast of South America. Their efforts have led to the protection of numerous nests,
the release of hundreds of hatchlings, and the generation of invaluable demographic data on the species.
In
early 2009 Equilibrio Azul also began in-water monitoring using tangle nets and by conducting dives, in an attempt to observe
additional hawksbills. In the short time since beginning these activities they have encountered both adult and juvenile
hawksbills in front of Machalilla Park, demonstrating the critical importance of the area not only for nesting by adults of
the species, but for foraging of all age-classes as well.
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