eric alguera ricking his life to protect these rare beasts. >> we may have a lot of eyes on us right now? for sure, for sure. >> reporter: poachers and conservationists are racing to claim the eggs from these animals, the leatherback turtle. at up to 2,000 pounds the largest turtles on earth. >> you can see the eggs coming out. pretty cool. it's filling up fast. wow. look at that. this gives you a sense what was a cat and mouse game this is. these are discarded eggs from poachers, they throw away the unfertilized eggs. you can tell this is a nest the poachers have hit. >> reporter: these prehistoric giants have been coming to the shores of this beach in costa rica to make their nests since before humans walked the earth. but now they are caught in the middle of a war, a war in which people are willing to kill. >> turtle eggs and drug dealing go hand in hand. two years ago her friend jira, a young conservationist, was brutally murdered on the beach, provoking an international outcry and widespread protests. jiro vive became a battle cry for conservationists around the world. she was a