In the Caribbean, there are only three prime places where the endangered leatherback turtles nest, and Culebra is fortunate to be one of them. Culebra has two beaches that provide a dark, quiet, and safe place for leatherback turtles - Resaca and Brava beaches. Both beaches are within the wildlife refuge area. The main turtle watch time is from April to early June. The Department of Natural Resources uses volunteers to assist in identifying and helping the turtles.
Volunteers meet at sunset and spend the night on the beach taking turns watching for turtles.
The fun begins when a turtle is spotted. Volunteers must stay at a distance until the turtle has prepared her nest. She puts on quite a show while she is digging. When the nest is complete and the turtle is ready to lay eggs, she goes into a hypnotic trance. At that time, the volunteers can gather around the turtle to observe her laying eggs.