MATURA , Trinidad ( CNN ) -- With its white sand and clear , blue water , Trinidad 's Matura Beach looks like a postcard . It 's a far cry from its recent past , when leatherback sea turtle carcasses littered the ground and kept tourists away . Suzan Lakhan Baptiste 's efforts have turned a beach from a leatherback turtle graveyard to a nesting colony . `` Twenty years ago , this was a graveyard , '' Suzan Lakhan Baptiste said of the six-mile stretch of beach near her home . `` The stench was horrendous . You could smell it for miles , '' she said . Saddened and frustrated , Baptiste launched a crusade to help end the slaughter of the gentle giants . Today , she and her group are succeeding : What was once a turtle graveyard is now a maternity ward -- one of the largest leatherback nesting colonies in the world . It has n't been an easy fight for Baptiste or the turtles . For 100 million years , the creatures have traveled the world 's oceans , outliving the dinosaurs . Over the last 30 years , they have become critically endangered worldwide because of fishing , pollution and hunting . For centuries , they 've been hunted throughout the Caribbean for their meat and fins , and also for their eggs , which some people prize as aphrodisiacs . `` Turtles are in serious trouble , '' Baptiste said . Every year , female leatherbacks make their way onto the beach , laying their eggs deep in the sand . It is a long , complicated ritual during which the enormous , slow-moving animals are easy prey for poachers . `` Leatherbacks [ are ] very vulnerable , '' Baptiste said . `` They can not pull their head and flippers back into the shell . They have no sense of defense to actually protect themselves . '' By the 1980s , nearly one in three turtles that nested on Matura Beach were killed . When the government asked for volunteers to help protect the endangered creatures , Baptiste and several others answered the call . In 1990 , they started Nature Seekers , one of Trinidad 's first environmental groups . 'Crazy Turtle Woman ' For years , Baptiste and her group patrolled the beaches every night of turtle nesting season . She often walked alone until sunrise . Locals mocked her efforts , calling her the `` Turtle Police '' or `` Crazy Turtle Woman , '' yet her dedication to the unpaid work was fierce ; when it conflicted with her day job , she quit and found a new job . Leatherbacks were a vital source of income for some members of her village , and the poachers who prowled the beaches with machetes could be threatening . When Baptiste 's then-husband was injured during a patrol , she became more determined to stand her ground . `` I was very vigilant , '' she said , adding that at times , she even got into physical fights . But Baptiste persisted , and a prestigious award from the United Nations Environment Program helped validate her efforts . She and her group also worked hard to convince the villagers that using the turtles for eco-tourism could create a more sustainable income . `` I wanted to show that a turtle is [ worth ] so much more to us alive than dead , '' Baptiste said . Gradually , her message of conservation turned the tide of public opinion , and after nearly two decades under Baptiste 's leadership , Nature Seekers has largely won its battle . Today , the leatherbacks ' survival rate on Matura Beach is virtually 100 percent . `` Here , turtle slaughter is a thing of the past , '' Baptiste proclaimed . Even `` Papa George , '' a village elder who used to hunt leatherbacks with his father , can attest to the cultural shift . `` Suzan brought around the change , '' he said . `` They do n't kill the turtles anymore ... because of the visitors . '' Nearly 10,000 tourists a year , most of whom are Trinidadian , now visit Matura Beach , and many locals make a living by providing them with accommodations , food and souvenirs . Since the beach is a prohibited area during the nesting season , Nature Seekers ' members act as guides , explaining the turtles ' ancient rituals to visitors . In addition , Baptiste and her colleagues gather data on the enormous creatures , tagging and weighing as many leatherbacks as they can . Watch Baptiste and her group weigh a leatherback turtle at night » . During peak season , they might see between 250 or 300 turtles a night . More than 5,000 leatherbacks nest in the area each year . The group 's work is often cited as one of the most successful eco-tourism efforts in the Caribbean . Still , turtle slaughter persists throughout the region , and Baptiste is working to help other groups learn from her success , most recently on the island of Dominica . She finds joy in sharing her hard-earned knowledge . `` The passion that I feel , it burns me up , '' she said . `` I have seen the fruits of our labor , and it can happen in every community . '' Watch how Baptiste helped end the slaughter of turtles in her community » . Her efforts -- and those of many others around the region -- are making a difference . While leatherbacks are still critically endangered worldwide , the Caribbean population has begun to rebound . `` When I got started , a lot of people thought I was crazy , '' Baptiste said , and she admits that she sometimes wondered if they were right . Reflecting on what she and her team have accomplished , she now believes it was worth it . `` I love being crazy , you know ? '' she said , laughing . `` Crazy with a passion , crazy with a dream -- totally environmentally crazy . '' Want to get involved ? Check out Nature Seekers and see how to help .
Suzan Lakhan has helped end the turtle plague in her community . Her nonprofit Nature Seekers promotes nature conservation throughout the region . The organization 's efforts contribute to eco - tourism in the area . Do you want a hero ? Nominations are open at CNN.com / Heroes .