OUTSIDE: Why?
EL SANTO: I'm a fortunate man. Life has given me beautiful things: Work I love... fame... money. In some manner, you have to give back.

But a wrestler as turtle spokesman?
My image is partly that of a superhero. Compared with other superheroes—to Batman, the Man of Spiders, or Superman—I represent flesh and blood.

What's the mission?
To defend Mexico's seas. To protect turtles. Fewer than 1 percent survive to adulthood.

Do turtle eggs really make you—how do you say—erectile?
It's a myth. Men consume eggs for potency, and then there's a placebo effect, and so they say it's the eggs.

Mexico isn't exactly famous for ecological consciousness.
Behind me are many. There is potential.

Potential for what?
I am thinking of doing a wrestling show where Santo confronts the enemies of the sea—other fighters dressed as the baddies. One is called Chupacaguas, the Turtle-Meat Sucker.

What did you think of Nacho Libre?
It's the reality of lucha libre. Nacho passes through many problems. They hit him, humiliate him, pay him a low wage, and when he has a chance to triumph, he does.