Playa Tortuguera El Verde Camacho. 02/02/04; Sinaloa; 6,454 ha; 23°24'N 106°32'W. Wildlife Reserve. The 25km long beach is the most important reproductive area for the Olive Ridley Turtle Lepidochelys olivacea in the state of Sinaloa (Gulf of California), where they arrive to nest in groups of 40-50 individuals per night. It is also feeding and migration habitat for the Hawksbill Turtle Eretmochelys imbricata, Black turtle Chelonia agassizi, and sporadically, the Leatherback Turtle Dermochelys coriacea, all of them endangered species and experiencing notorious decline in numbers. Due to the influx of the Quelite River, coastal lagoons behind the beach are both brackish and freshwater. They provide refuge to resident and migratory birds and nursery waters to economically important fish species such as pargos Lutjanus spp. Mangrove forests dominated by Laguncularia racemosa and deciduous tropical forest are the dominant vegetation. Aquaculture, fishing, agriculture and tourism are the main uses of the site. Building, night illumination, waste disposal and the transit of 4x4 vehicles affect the quality of the beach as turtle nesting ground, while fish farming and agriculture are modifying the hydrological regime and causing pollution and sedimentation. Turtle nesting has been monitored and researched since 1975, and a management plan is pending official approval. Ramsar site no. 1349. Most recent RIS information: 2006.