“An important part of the cycle of life for the vulnerable Olive Ridley Sea Turtle is the laying of the eggs. I have had the privilege of witnessing massive ‘arribadas,’ the phenomenon of synchronized nesting of thousands of these medium-sized turtles. After the initial excitement of watching the arriving turtles wore off, there was time to reflect on the numerous obstacles this species must overcome for its survival: the laborious struggle of dragging their heavy bodies beyond the high tide line to dig a nest; few suitable nesting grounds, leading to the inadvertent destruction of previously laid eggs by other nesting females; vultures and dogs that attack the hatchlings on their way to the ocean, plus the many predators that are waiting for those who make it to the water; foraging grounds contaminated by sewage, agricultural runoff, solvents, and industrial discharges; boat collisions, incidental takes in fisheries, along with entanglement and ingestion of marine debris, to name a few. I discovered this skull during a walk and, as I watched the tide slowly ebb, foam washing over the place where the turtle’s eyes had been, I wondered about what those eyes might have witnessed over its lifetime – before this final trip home, to rest in peace at last…“