A community in Venezuela is setting an example by protecting sea turtles from poaching, exploitation, and habitat destruction.

These endangered marine creatures, some of the oldest living reptiles, are at risk, especially their eggs.

There is a hidden treasure in the heart of the Caribbean Sea. La Sabana is a small coastal town on the Venezuelan mainland. It's a nesting beach for thousands of sea turtles that come each year from March to October to dig pits in the sand and bury their eggs.

Braulio Castillo is part of a local environmentalist group taking care of the beach. His job is to patrol 3.7 kilometers of waterfront to locate nesting sites.

It's a protected area where the community has built a nursery to hatch eggs in captivity. This year the community is watching over 12 nests and about 800 eggs.

When they are ready, the hatchlings will be released down to the beach into the Caribbean Sea.

Castillo has dedicated 20 years to saving Venezuela's sea turtle eggs.  

"If we don't safeguard and protect them, these nests have no chance of survival," explains Castillo. "Here and on many Caribbean beaches, sea turtles' nests are often plundered and trafficked as food.”

Four of the world's seven species of sea turtle can be found along this section of Venezuelan coast. Two of the most common are the green and leatherback sea turtles.

The Luz Marina Foundation based in the state of La Guaira, Venezuela, does its best to keep their hatchlings alive.

Pedro Pérez, one of the founders of the foundation, keeps close track of the number of turtles coming to the beach, their size and weight, and the number of eggs left behind.

"They leave the shell quickly and then they start cycling around seeking the sound of the sea," says Pérez. "Even if you turn their heads in a different direction, they have their animal instinct."

Sea turtles face multiple challenges, from natural predators to manmade dangers like plastic and debris left behind on the beach.

Climate change is also affecting their chances of survival, with warmer water causing coral bleaching, leaving fewer places to find food and shelter.

Over the past 18 years, the foundation has been able to save thousands of sea turtles each year. But they are doing more than that. They have been working alongside the local community to raise awareness about their fragile ecosystem.

At La Sabana´s school, sea turtles are a main subject. The students are eager to learn about them.

And the foundation is in charge of teaching basic knowledge about varieties of the species and the importance of caring for their offspring.

Sixth-grader Abraham Alfonzo is among children participating in the activities.

"Turtles could disappear like other types of animals," says Alfonzo. "Sea turtles are becoming extinct."

It's also a hands-on experience where the classroom is often the beach.

All children carefully look after the nursery. From an early age, they understand that it is everyone's responsibility to preserve the eggs. 

Primary school teacher Isamar Berroterán says it is a lesson that'll stay with them for a lifetime.

"If we educate and teach them how they can take care of the turtles and how they can preserve them, they will be better human beings," Berroterán said.

Sea turtles are at the core of La Sabana. With hard work, dedication, and, above all, environmental awareness, the community is doing what they can to save these marine reptiles.  

By the end of the year, they hope to have saved at least 2,000 of them.

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