"Even more remarkable, its waters are hyper-sailing, meaning they're saltier than the ocean. Despite these extreme conditions, this extraordinary ecosystem is home to one of the Caribbean's most iconic predators, the American crocodile. But this population is in trouble. Once numbering in hundreds of breeding adults, decades of illegal hunting, habitat pressures, nest predation, and environmental changes have caused the population to decline dramatically. Today the American crocodiles of Laguna Riquillo are considered critically endangered within the Dominican Republic, making every surviving hatchling incredibly important."