Maria la Tortuga: How a Little Turtle Finds Hope & Friendship in Our Ocean and You Can Too!

Join Maria, the sea turtle, as she faces her fears on her journey through the ocean. She was born during a food shortage and narrowly escapes. When she returns later to lay her eggs, she doesn't recognize her home. Dive into this adventure to learn about a real town in Cuba and its conservation facts woven into a story created by two young boys (Asher and Hector). This bilingual story of Maria la Tortuga will inspire both children and adults while reminding us, there's always a solution.

Written in English and Spanish, Maria la Tortuga is the result of multi-generational friendships supported by a desire to heal the ocean. During a national food shortage in Cuba in the 1990's, locals in Guanahacabibes were eating sea turtles and overfishing as they fended off starvation. Dr. Maria Elena Ibarra Martin, who led the Center for Marine Research at the University of Havana, convinced her government to protect Guanahacabibes. Asher's mother and grandfather visited the area during the initial recovery phase in 1998 and developed a friendship with Dr. Martin. In 2018, after many trips to Cuba with others who held a similar passion, Asher's family and friends successfully nominated Guanahacabibes as a Hope Spot for The Mission Blue Foundation, founded by Dr. Sylvia Earle. A year later, Asher and Hector visited the area to learn how it went from a scene of destruction to the focus of a conservation partnership.From this experience, Asher wrote the story of Maria, a baby sea turtle who was born during the food shortage and narrowly escaped death. When she returns decades later to lay her first batch of eggs, she doesn't recognize her home. Her new friend, Osmani, explains why and how it changed.

The story offers small steps that anyone, no matter where they live, can take to be part of the solution. Readers can learn about conservation at a real town in Cuba, take in the beauty and maybe learn a few Spanish words while they're at it.

Únete a María, la tortuga marina, mientras enfrenta sus miedos en su viaje por el océano. Nació durante una escasez de alimentos y escapa por poco. Cuando regresa más tarde para poner sus huevos, no reconoce su hogar. Sumérgete en esta aventura para aprender sobre un pueblo real en Cuba y sus datos de conservación entretejidos en una historia creada por dos jóvenes (Asher y Héctor). Esta historia bilingüe de María la Tortuga inspirará tanto a niños como a adultos mientras nos recuerda que siempre hay una solución.

Escrita en inglés y español, María la Tortuga es el resultado de amistades multigeneracionales apoyadas por el deseo de sanar el océano. Durante una escasez nacional de alimentos en Cuba en la década de 1990, los lugareños de Guanahacabibes comían tortugas marinas y pescaban en exceso para evitar el hambre. La Dra. María Elena Ibarra Martín, quien dirigió el Centro de Investigaciones Marinas de la Universidad de La Habana, convenció a su gobierno de proteger Guanahacabibes. La madre y el abuelo de Asher visitaron el área durante la fase de recuperación inicial en 1998 y desarrollaron una amistad con el Dr. Martin. En 2018, después de muchos viajes a Cuba con otras personas que tenían una pasión similar, la familia y los amigos de Asher nominaron con éxito a Guanahacabibes como un punto de esperanza para la Fundación Mission Blue, fundada por la Dra. Sylvia Earle. Un año después, Asher y Héctor visitaron el área para aprender cómo pasó de ser un escenario de destrucción a convertirse en el foco de una asociación de conservación....

Asher Warren, of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, started studying Spanish in the third grade at school. At age ten he became a PADI certified scuba diver.In 2019, during a visit to Cuba with his family, the young American shared a very special friendship with the Fernández-Gálvez Cuban family.While in Guanahacabibes (Gwa-nah-hock-uh-bee-bays), Cuba, they learned from Dr. Dorka, and the Cuban biologist team about sea turtle conservation. The experience led Asher to weave what he and his friend Hector Fernandez learned into a story he hopes will inspire others to help heal the ocean.Asher Warren, of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, started studying Spanish in the 3rd grade at school. At age 10 he became a PADI certified scuba diver. In 2019, during a visit to Cuba with his family, the young American shared a very special friendship with the Fernandez-Galvez Cuban family. While in Guanahacabibes (Gwa-nah-hock-uh-bee-bays), they learned from Cuban Biologists about sea turtle conservation. The experience led Asher to weave what he and his friend Hector Fernandez learned into a story he hopes will inspire others to help heal the ocean. Learn more at ScubaCUBA.com/HopeSobre el Autor: Asher Warren, de Fort Wayne, Indiana, comenzó a estudiar español en tercer grado en su escuela. A los 10 años se convirtió en buceador certificado por PADI.En 2019. viajó con su familia a Guanahacabibes, Cuba donde compartieron una amistad muy especial con la familia cubana Fernández-Gálvez. Mientras estuvieron allí, aprendieron de los biólogos cubanos sobre la conservación de las tortugas marinas. Asher decidió escribir esta historia ficticia de lo que aprendió sobre el pueblo. Asher espera inspirar a otros a usar cualquier talento y recursos que posean para ayudar a que el océano se recupere. Aprende más a ScubaCUBA.com/Hope

Hèctor Fernandez. a 15-year old Cuban with no formal art training, collaborated in creating this book by using his talent to paint the illustrations. During the pandemic when Cuban schools shut down, there was a scarcity of materials in Cuba, including paint. When Hector's neighbor visited Canada, Asher's family shipped paint supplies to take back to Cuba. After quarantine, while making up missed schooling, Hector created over 30 paintings, and graduated with honors. He also became a certified diver with his father, Alex. Hector plans to study engineering at the University of Havana. He hopes others will be inspired by his art and visit his country.Sobre el Ilustrador: A los 15 años, Hèctor Fernandez comenzó a colaborar cuando Asher notó su habilidad para dibujar. Héctor aprendió por sí mismo a pintar cada ilustración sin ninguna clase de arte o entrenamiento formal. Durante la pandemia cuando había escasez de muchos materiales en Cuba, incluida la pintura. Cuando el vecino de Hector estuvo visitando en Canada, La familia de Asher mando los suministros para llevar de mano a Hèctor. Debido al cierre de las escuelas durante el Covid, Hèctor tuvo que recuperar dos años de escolaridad en un año. Todavía creó 30 pinturas originales y se graduó de la escuela secundaria con honores. Planea estudiar ingeniería en la Universidad de La Habana. Héctor espera que cuando otros vean sus obra del arte, se sientan inspirados para visitar a Cuba.