Featured Image: Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) identified on a research expedition. Credit: Edwar Herreno
COCOS ISLAND, COSTA RICA – 
Randall Arauz’s path to marine conservation began as a teenager on Junquillal Beach, Costa Rica, when he witnessed an olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) laying her eggs—only to see the nest raided by poachers moments later. That experience inspired a lifelong commitment to protecting sea turtles and the ocean ecosystems they depend on.
Arauz’s early work focused on protecting nesting beaches and exposing the deadly impact of industrial longline fishing on adult sea turtles. Through PRETOMA and later CREMA-Costa Rica, Arauz pioneered research the migratory routes of endangered species like leatherbacks and hammerhead sharks, helping to identify a critical corridor between Costa Rica’s Cocos Island and Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands.…