Indigenous people of South and Central America have a strong connection with marine turtles going back millennia, considering them to be "messengers," "grandmothers," and “wisdom keepers” because of their longevity. This respectful relationship is deeply embedded in their cultural traditions and ancestral knowledge, and celebrated in songs, rituals, and art.

Sea turtles such as Hawksbills, Olive Ridleys, Green and Leatherbacks are also emblematic for scientists, as key indicators of the overall health of marine and coastal ecosystems. “In places where turtles thrive, so does the entire food chain, as they feed on and regulate population levels of species like seagrass and jellyfish, provide food themselves to apex predators like sharks and jaguars, and help to maintain prey-predator balance,” says Liliana Madrigal, co-founder of the Amazon Conservation Team.

Marine turtles are highly migratory, traveling instinctually along ancient routes that run between the Amazon and Mesoamerica, and even across continents. Once abundant, however, marine turtle populations have been shrinking within these coastal areas for decades, threatened by indiscriminate fishing, ocean pollution and plastics, egg poaching, climate change and the related degradation of nesting sites. Given the patterns of marine turtles’ movement—as many as 2,000 miles in a season—conservation is arguably most effective when undertaken across national boundaries and ecosystems. As Liliana points out, “What’s the point of protecting a turtle in Costa Rica if it’s going to be killed on its migratory path to Mexico?” Also, ACT believes, conservation strategies work best when informed by those whose knowledge of species’ historic patterns runs deepest, and whose livelihoods are dependent on their survival.

And so one and a half years ago, ACT joined forces with leaders of indigenous local coastal communities from Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico to launch an ambitious, cross-border initiative called Ancestral Tides. Drawing on both traditional knowledge and western science, the indigenous sea turtle conservation communities began to exchange insights and strategies to conserve these coastal ecosystems and sea turtles while revitalizing related cultural traditions.