Bocas del Drago is a relatively recently documented sea turtle nesting site on the northern part of Isla Colón. Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) identified it as a previously unstudied nesting beach for Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) and Hawksbill/Carey (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtles, both globally important conservation species.
 
STC describes the area as including a short white-sand nesting beach with coral reef habitat offshore, where juvenile and sub-adult Hawksbills appear to forage while adult Hawksbills and Leatherbacks come ashore to nest.
STC began a structured monitoring and protection programme at Drago in 2021. The programme covered approximately 4 km of coastline — about 2 km of Drago Beach and a further 2 km comprising smaller beaches in the Mimitimbi area. Local community members were trained to conduct daily track surveys and night patrols, under STC supervision.
During the 2021 programme, 91 nests were specifically marked for hatching and emergence studies: 18 Leatherback and 73 Hawksbill nests. The programme also documented threats including poaching, dog predation and erosion-related nest loss. STC responded by protecting vulnerable nests and working with the local community, including a dog-neutering programme. The Drago project explicitly recorded erosion as a cause of nests failing to complete incubation.

THE PROPOSITION
Natural-Sand Emergency Nesting Sanctuary

Since Drago nesting turtle sites are found all along the Drago, Mimitimbi coastline we propose a network-based conservation programme—protect turtles and nests where they occur, with a small emergency relocation area available only when necessary.  A permanent, distributed nesting-beach monitoring and rapid-response programme designed to protect nests and nesting females across the fragmented Drago–Mimitimbi coastline. STC's previous Drago programme already trained a local monitor and research assistants in turtle biology, species identification, tagging, measurements and nest marking. That provides a direct precedent for restarting or expanding a local guardian programme.
 

For nests threatened by dogs, accidental disturbance, or other localized threats, use in-situ protection, such as approved mesh/screens or other methods specified by STC and MiAmbiente, STC has already done this successfully at the Drago/Mimitimbi beach sites and protected them in this way. 

Create a mobile rapid-response team, 2 trained turtle monitors + transport + communications that could respond to nests anywhere along, Drago → Mimitimbi → the smaller isolated beaches. Their job would be to assess each nest, A permanent, distributed nesting-beach monitoring and rapid-response programme designed to protect nests and nesting females across the fragmented Drago–Mimitimbi coastline. STC's previous Drago programme already trained a local monitor and research assistants in turtle biology, species identification, tagging, measurements and nest marking. That provides a direct precedent for restarting or expanding a local guardian programme. 

Some of this could potentially be sponsored through Fundación Natura that manages conservation funding in Panama and specifically has programmes allowing private companies to participate in conservation projects through Corporate Social Responsibility (RSE). Some operational cost may still need to be community funded so please consider donating to saving these majestic creatures for future generaitons.