The operation ends in a few minutes, silent and efficiently, within the tight darkness of the slaughter grounds called "Los Peladeros." As it frequently happens, the murderer does not get caught, but leaves behind the evidence of his crime.

Soon after, the protectors of the sea turtle camps arrive on the agitated virgin beaches of Jalisco. Before their eyes a female Lepydochelys olivacea lies without movement, her almost empty shell upside down in the sand.

Standing in front of this horrible spectacle of guts and blood you have to wonder, are these really cold blooded animals? Because here in a midnight mystified by the milky way and by the roaring of the raging sea, you can still feel a strange heat.

It might be the dry season of this torrid coast line, or maybe an echo of the life, almost like a ghost, from the primitive species that just died. Or that kind of brutal passion that reflects the rational and methodical task of tearing out from the Quelonios those attributes that are so valued on the illegal skins market.

Reptiles are humans, a moralist might say... and this is just another unsymmetrical death in the war for survival of the four out of eight species found in the State of Jalisco. Just another confrontation on this Playon, which is nearly 69 kms long.

And though there are three turtle camps with a dozen nest rescuers patrolling this stretch of coastline on five quad bikes, they cannot defeat the dozens of poachers who make two pesos for every egg they steal and between $200 to $400 pesos for the epidermis of these legendary swimmers.

The "Peladeros" in between La Cruz de Loreto and Majahuas make an authentic cemetery. The female that was just killed is lying in a pool of her own blood and organs, her eggs still in the bag. There was no time for the killer to take them, his fear of being caught in the act by the protectors who were nearby outweighing his greed, thereby reducing his margin of income.

Hundreds of older turtle carcasses seem to give a cold welcome to those who walk these holy grounds to relieve the remorse of seeing the slaughter of what a priest might call these "beings without soul."

A black turtle (Chelonia agassizzi) was murdered here just a few days ago, said activists Alfredo Bauche (Wild Travellers staff) and Biologist Jorge Ivan (GAPEA A.C.) as they stood in front of yet another discarded shell.

For those of you who might ask why turtles are still being killed when it is common knowledge that they are on the brink of extinction, the answer is simple: MONEY. "In one night you can make enough to post bail," they say in laughing tone, "you can make $200 USD a night - every night."

"I think that eventually the poachers are going to eradicate all of them," says Don Cirilo Hernandez Ruiz, a legendary caretaker of turtles who recently retired from Mismaloya. Today, Ruiz is a solitary man who lives in the small town of 20 de Noviembre, where mankind's plundering of the natural resources in the surrounding jungle becomes more evident every day.

"Sea Turtles are born helpless and when hatching they confront many predators and a high risk of death," explains Biologist Daniel Barreto. "Maybe one or two will make it to adulthood, but, when left alone, those that are strong enough to survive can live for up to 100 years."

Sea turtles are migratory, traveling thousands of kilometers between the place where they are born to their permanent residence, the deep sea, where they eat different crustaceans or fish, and confront their worst enemy - the shark.

A testimony to 200 million years of evolution the Queloniousare, or sea turtles, once shared the oceans with the great dinosaurs. As a matter of fact, some amazingly big turtle species disappeared together with the plesiosaurious and ictiosaurious, which were some of the biggest animals at a time when the only continent, Pangea, was covered with amazing land life.

On any given day, a typical turtle poacher, know as a "caguamero" or "huevero," can be found on the beaches of Tomatlan. Riding along on his horse and dragging a long rope of dead turtles behind, he is usually accompanied by his dog, who is adept at detecting the slow movement of the turtles. These teams have the ability to move quickly and quietly across the sand dunes and disappear rapidly when they encounter a dangerous situation.

The poacher's typical "modus operandi" is always the same: they tie the turtle to a rope and drag it into the bushes where it is killed and pillaged - leaving behind only an empty shell.

"Some poachers have more respect," says one of the turtle protectors, "they don't kill the animals, they just take the eggs. Egg poaching is a common problem in Mismaloya, Chalacatepec, Teopa, Cuitzmala, El Tecuan, Mayto - basically all along the coast of Mexico, but the practice of killing the turtles is predominant in Mismaloya."

Even though the killers are silent most of the time, but sometimes they are confronted by young and unexperienced protectors and the poachers literally take the animals by force.

A girl saw it happen last night. " I hope that the marines and reenforcements arrive soon," she said, "because I couldn't do anything, they came, picked up the turtle right in front of me, took it behind the dunes and killed it viciously."

On our return to the camp, a live turtle burying future lives in the sand in front of El Hotelito Desconocido offered us a comforting site. In the end, she will go back to the raging sea, to swim beneath the foam of the great waves that break on this beach.

Now our duty is to remember that we are now in the height of sea turtle season and there will be lots of sea turtles out searching for a place to nest along the shores of Banderas Bay.

So, should you encounter a female making it's way on the beach to lay it's eggs, here's how you can help:

• Stay away from her, at least 10 feet (3.3 meters) and never place yourself in front of it, always stay behind.

• Be quiet and don't move around. Instead, sit quietly and enjoy this wonderful gift life has offered you. Don't forget to get out of the way when she tries to go back to the sea.

• Don't let people form a circle around her. That can be very stressful to the turtle. Laying her eggs is hard enough for her.

• If it happens to be nighttime, do not shine any light on it, this may cause her to stop digging and return to the sea, hence, prohibiting her from laying her eggs.

• Call the proper authorities in that area (preferably a local biologists or turtle camp) so that they may come recover the eggs before poachers do their dirty work.

• Should you encounter a hatching nest, DO NOT TOUCH the baby turtles. Any bacteria, repellent, or food debris can be detrimental to the hatchling's survival. Wash your hands carefully before attempting to help a turtle that is stuck in debris or having difficulty making it to the ocean. Remember to let it mark it's location, do not put them directly in the water unless it's really necessary.

• Some organizations collect funds that are distributed to local camps. Don't be afraid to give, your children's future will only be the better for it.

They say that our future lies in the hands of our children. That is very true. On your next vacation, bring your children to a turtle camp, teach them or let a knowledgeable person tell them about these marvelous creatures of the ocean.

Participate in a baby turtle release program and get the experience of a lifetime. There are few things in life that are as touching as holding a baby turtle in your hand, giving it a name, a kiss, wishing it luck on it's tough journey ahead and watching it make its way to its home; the sea!

Ariel Dueñas is the Wildlife Coordinator for WILD TRAVELLERS and Global Volunteer Projects, and an active volunteer at several sea turtle camps around the Bay of Banderas. For more information, send an email to ariel@globalvolunteerprojects.org or call at 011521-322-127-8878.