I was so excited. My first night and I was going out on the beach. I told everyone that I was going to see a turtle! I had been up since 5:30 am and probably was delirious. I was scheduled to go out at 7pm with Bryan, a biologist who has been at Playa Grande for 4 years. Here he is with a turtle with a satellite tracking device on it! (neato, huh!) 
I doused myself in bug repellant (I hate it) and my Earthwatch volunteer t-shirt (required), pants, boots, and a baseball cap. I carried a red headlamp in my pocket along with a bottle of water. It was still so hot, but I was ready to go.
We were heading to North beach. (the best turtle spot). We hopped in an old, rickety, blue van with windows that wouldn't close and headed to the south end of the beach. The roads were dusty,dirty and ridden with potholes. We emerged from the bumpy ride and quickly walked into the woods on darkened paths illuminated only by our headlamps.
Clunky blue van!!
We exited onto the darkened beach. The sky had a million stars. We began walking North toward the hatchery. Now, mind you, it is pitch dark, only stars, and a roaring tide. A bit unnerving for someone from Hamburg, New York. We arrived at the hatchery and sat for a bit and then proceeded South. (you basically pace the beach for 6 hours or so).
About halfway back to our starting point, Bryan pointed out a turtle trail. (how he saw it in the dark is beyond me!). But, it was there! Here's a picture of one in the daytime.
Notice the huge gouges in the sand. Sometimes you can see a tail drag mark. You can decipher whether the turtle was going into or coming out of the ocean based on the marks. It is shorter coming in due to high tide and longer going out due to the change between the two times.
I was going to see my first Leatherback turtle! As we approached I was able to see her making her body pit. That means she was digging a spot in the sand (about 12+ inches down). She then began to dig an egg chamber by alternating her back flippers. (it is amazing that such a huge beast can be so delicate as she reaches in and scrapes the sand.) She then scoops out the loose sand from the bottom of the chamber and piles it on top. The turtle will do this until the egg chamber is about 2 feet deep.
I was so excited. While she was digging her egg chamber, Bryan showed me how to dig my own body pit behind the turtle. I was going to count the eggs as they dropped out of the Leatherback into the chamber. We set out the equipment on a sheet of plastic (the scanner, tape measure, tags). I put on plastic glove and was handed a counter. Tourists were walking towards us in the dark (2 groups). Guards communicated with red flashes.
Here's Biologist Bryan!
Time to get ready to count! Laying flat on my stomach on the wet sand, head nearly in a turtle butt, I waited for her to start depositing eggs. Tourists were standing over me and I was very nervous. At the moment when she stopped making her egg chamber, I was to hold back her left flipper and using my headlamp (red, of course) and the counter, I was to count the eggs as they fell. Yikes. The eggs began to fall out of the turtle in groups of 2-3, white, perfectly formed spheres, still wet from being inside the turtle. (photo courtesy of Matthew Godfrey). Mucus was dripping from her--sounds yucky doesn't it. It wasn't though...I never gave it a second thought! Many people ask if it bothers the turtles when all these people are around. Remember, the turtle goes into a trance-like state when she is laying eggs. We did avoid going toward the head of the turtle, no one was allowed to walk in front. (Just to be sure!)
Leatherback Clutch 
A mucous like substance occasionally dripped into the chamber. Small egg-like spheres and misshapen ovals also are layed by the turtle. These are called SAGS. (shelled albumen gobs) Biologist still don't know why they are present!? Mind you, laying with your arms straight out, flat on your stomach in the sand, holding a counter and a flipper, with toursits crawling around, can be both strenuous and nerve wracking. But, worth every moment!!! This continued for 8-9 minutes. When she was done, her flipper began to push strongly against my hand. I let go and she began to fill in the nest with her back flippers. Push, push, pat the sand down... Push,push, pat down the sand...
photo courtesy of Noelle Rucinski Isn't she a beauty!
This process took about ten minutes. She then covers/disguises the nesting spot by flipping LARGE amounts of sand everywhere. This covers the eggs more and disguises the nest. We sat for a moment or two next to her. I touched her shell. It was soft and leathery (shocker!) She let out this tremendous SIGH!
This is a picture after the nest was disguised.
Somewhere under there is a nest of eggs.
In all, there were 66 eggs laid. The average is usually between 65-75 per clutch.
After picking up the equipment, we again started north to the hatchery. We passed a guard on the way back. They stand out on the beach to keep away tourists and to protect the turtles.. They station themselves near the turtle as it nests. Bryan talks to them like he has known them forever. His Spanish seems as good as his English. You can tell the people like him.
Over the radio, while on our way to the hatchery,we heard that there was another turtle in! As were were quickly walking back, Bryan yelled to us to hurry! Turtle # 1 was returning to the ocean. What a treat, to watch such a phenomenal beast returning to its natural environment. It was going back to where it belonged. (photo courtesy of Matt Godfrey)
We headed for turtle 2 who was just making its body pit. We unpacked the equipment. My job was going to be to measure the turtle and scan for PIT tags. To see what a PIT tag is click here:(http://www.seaturtle.org/tagging/pit.shtml) I knelt by the side of the turtle (away from the head) and felt its soft leathery shell. I was to help Bryan measure the carapace from the front to the peduncle using a measuring tape.
Just look for your initials!
You can infer the true size and weight of the turtle by looking at these. 
Each nest that is in danger from high tide, too close to the vegetation or has other problems, is dug up and moved to the hatchery. A new nest is made and the eggs placed in it. It is then surrounded by chicken wire, hooked up with a thermocouple and covered. It is given a number and monitored until the hatchlings emerge!
BUT, these little guys are worth it!