Less than 0.01% of the eggs hatch… and even fewer survive and reach adulthood. There are so many dangers for these little ones - the eggs are considered an aphrodisiac in Mexico, and if they are not by people or dogs looking for a snack, the hatched little ones often don’t make it to the water and suffocate beneath the sand. There are many turtle preservation camps around the world, one of which is right here in San Pancho, Mexico. Volunteers fly in from around the world, taking turns patrolling the beach at night to mark the locations of the nests. These are then taken to an incubator in the village until the little turtles are ready to face the ocean.
Witnessing this was nothing short of amazing. I hung out at the beach and waited for the sunset when I saw a man with a bunch of buckets starting to make markings on the sand - take a look!
It’s remarkable to witness the beginning of a journey, so fragile and hopeful. Check out the San Pancho turtle preservation camp for more info… In 16 years, the local turtle population has increased from 72 to 661 nesting females.
Here they are, swimming in the sand…
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I felt uber cool driving Desiree’s jeep through the market streets, with my elbow out the window. Life is good. 
After a beautiful day surfing, Oswaldo settles in on the balcony with his guitar, while Desiree makes coffee for us.
If I could choose one type of food to have for the rest of my natural life, it would surely be seafood. Just look at these gorgeous camarones!
And my other weakness … papaya.
And here’s the little tienda, where the papaya came from:
More of beautiful San Pancho…
Here are Desiree and Oswaldo in an embrace…
A picturesque cemetery in Sayulita…
Cemeteries in Mexico feel as if life is celebrated as opposed to mourned. The sign on this grave says something like “It’s not sad here, I’m happy.”
Back on the beach, a little coconut action.
I always end up back on the beach. San Pancho beach is fierce and powerful…
That’s where I’m running right now! Thank you for letting me share the journey…
Soaked to the bone, Desiree and Oswaldo put surfing boards away…
The fruit tent on the beach was dismantled in a blink of an eye. Packing up the goodies in the rain…
It’s easy to feel small in the eye of the storm.
Back at the Barcelo Maya Palace hotel room, Jessica put the finishing touches on the girls’ make-up herself. Here’s a moment with her mom, who made all the beautiful bridesmaids’ and flower girls’ dresses! In the mean time, I quietly snuck away to photograph Jessica’s gown, much to the amusement of the beach bodies outside.
Here’s Jessica, moments before leaving for the ceremony…
The ceremony was so touching… Perfect strangers lingered, hugging their beach towels in awe.
The violin played as we celebrated in the intimate circle of family and friends…
As the sun softened into the horizon, we went for a walk on the beach nearby…
The wedding reception dinner was the perfect intimate gathering at the Barcelo Maya Palace dining room
I love this next one…
We met on the beach at around 4 pm, expecting sundown just after 6 pm. Little did we know, it would start raining! Of course, the first thing you pack with you when going to a Mayan Riviera wedding vacation is an umbrella. Not! In the next few photos, the warm drops are not quite a nuisance, and the light is so soft and delicious. 
Check out this beach stroll - I love it when both bride and groom venture out to ‘trash the dress.’
I held my breath, as Jessica & Ryan gently stepped into deeper waters. The beach at Barcelo Maya is amazing, but a bit rocky in some spots. I held my breath tighter - now with a death grip on my camera, as I followed the couple into the waves.
They make it look so easy, don’t they? Here’s the memory of laughter, salt on our lips, and the sound of crashing waves…
Can you tell it’s still pouring rain? Here are Jessica & Ryan falling back into the water! I wish I could show you a picture of what I looked like here - none of us had a plastic bag to protect my Canon 5D Mark II (although it’s apparently pretty water-resistant), so I emptied my big black shoulder bag, put the contents under a lawn chair on the beach, and held it right over my head, just so that I could barely see what I was shooting! It worked, and probably got a giggle or two out of Jessica :) 
How cool are my brides exactly? Cart wheel cool. That’s right, Jessica is upside down. In her wedding gown. In the rain. Top that! 
The sun peeked out for a few moments, as if rewarding us for our persistence. We celebrated love.
And like this.
Here is a maze walkway of the gorgeous Barcelo Maya Palace Beach Resort, bathing in early morning light.
And my uber awesome parents, who spontaneously came down from Edmonton for their very first Mexico vacation!
The iguanas here deserve their own post… They are truly epicurean creatures
Stay tuned for more, and I’m off to the beach to soak up some more sun