The Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) are protected in an area connecting Yaté to the Isle of Pines. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the turtles captured are ringed in order to identify the nesting sites. The females are mature around the age of 30, they will return to the vicinity where they were born to reproduce (every 2 to 6 years) and will also lay their eggs (about a hundred). The green turtle has seen its number of specimens drop by 50% over the past twenty years.