The in water project at Playa Blanca began in 2010.  They began this organization known as LAST (Latin American Sea Turtles) in an effort to learn more about the Hawksbill sea turtle’s habits, including foraging sites that they will use for the majority of their juvenile life.  When a sea turtle is caught, it will be brought aboard the boat or to shore so that the researchers can document all the necessary information. First they will perform a lavage in order to collect samples of what the sea turtle has in its digestive tract. Then blood will be drawn from the jugular vein. Tissue samples will be taken from at least one, if not multiple sites. If the turtle is not already tagged, a tag will be applied to the sea turtles flipper. Measurements of the carapace, plastron, tail will be taken to determine the sea turtles gender and age. If any parasites are seen on the turtle, they will be noted as well. The turtle cannot remain out of water for more than 4 hours max, so it will be released as soon as this process is over. Another important part of the program is to ensure that the mangroves in which the sea turtles forage are sufficient for them. We help plant growing mangroves in areas that are receptive.