In 1947, Andres Herrera flew over the nesting beach (Rancho Nuevo) of the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle. An estimated 40,000 female turtles had arrived in an arribaba (mass nesting). Herrera's video was not discovered by American scientists until 1960 by Henry Hildebrand. By 1965, only 2000 females were nesting. In addition to their natural predators, people looted the nests for the eggs that were considered a delicacy, and the increased shrimp industry drowned the adults in their nests. The Mexican government sent biologists to Rancho Nuevo to protect the turtles, but their efforts could not protect all the eggs.
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