At least three leatherback turtles (*Dermochelys coriacea*) were identified at the remote beach of El Fondiaderito in Darien province, where they laid eggs, according to a report by the Ministry of Environment (Miambiente).

The area is part of a vast protected rainforest region near the border with Colombia—conditions that favor the conservation of threatened marine and terrestrial species.

In light of natural risks and potential human interference, local residents, members of the Organization for the Protection of Sea Turtles and Biodiversity of Jaque, and Miambiente technicians relocated 178 eggs to an incubation hatchery.

The leatherback is the largest of the world’s seven sea turtle species and is among the most threatened, primarily due to habitat degradation, bycatch, and other pressures linked to human activity.

Across various areas of the Tropical Eastern Pacific, populations have declined by nearly 95 percent since the 1980s; the situation is particularly concerning in countries like Mexico and Costa Rica, though Panama has not been immune to this trend either.

Miambiente highlighted that each new nest represents an opportunity to expand knowledge regarding leatherback reproduction and distribution patterns, as well as to strengthen efforts to protect their nesting grounds.

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