Las Baulas National Marine Park was formed by a Presidential decree in 1991 and officially confirmed by law in 1995.
[3] Prior to the creation of the park almost 100% of all the sea turtles eggs laid in the region were collected illegally (poaching), but now this has been effectively ended.
The Leatherback Trust played a key role in supporting the government of Costa Rica in compensating landowners for property that was within the national park.
The race, co-sponsored by Conservation International, occurred on the Internet during 2007 with the turtles sponsored by several corporations, universities and schools.
[5][6] It reached over two million people worldwide and was featured on the Colbert Report on the Comedy Central Channel in the US.