Sea Turtle Hatching Program

[Dan F]

We visited a hotel in Zihuatanejo last week where they hatch and release Sea Turtles.

Hotel employees gather the eggs and re-bury them in a fenced in enclosure to protect them from poachers. After they hatch they are gathered and placed in plastic tubs of seawater. They wait until evening to release them to avoid predation by gulls and pelicans.

The cool part is that they let people on the beach release them. After allowing them to dry out for twenty minutes (which makes them seek water) we let them go just above the surf line. They scoot on out and swim away. They estimate that up to 5% of turtles released like this survive a year, compared to 1% of naturally hatched turtles.

It was a really cool experience, I sure hope Snappy, Jr. makes it!

 

[Jessica Dring]

That is a really cool idea.

However, how many of the eggs laid do they take? All, 75% or 50%?

As much as I love cute little sea turtles, there is the balance of nature that could be upset if all were taken? Many animals rely on this time of year to feed themselves and perhaps their offspring on the turtles?

Unfortantely, poachers really do upset the balance, but only so much not 100%., no?
Thanks for sharing anyway, its a lovely idea and they are super cute!

 

[Vicious_Fish]

Very cool. What kind of sea turtles are those? They look like Olive Ridley's.

 

[Dan F]

Very cool. What kind of sea turtles are those? They look like Olive Ridley's.

You are correct, they're Olive Ridley's, known locally as "Caguamas".

The beach (Playa la Ropa) has unfortunately been built up very heavily in the past ten years and it's pretty amazing that the turtles still come there at all. While snorkeling about a mile away from the beach we came across a dead adult turtle with two huge prop gashes across his back - Cruise ships visit the bay daily...

Luckily there are many undeveloped beaches nearby, for now there are still a lot of turtles out there.

 

[HPIZZLE]

You are correct, they're Olive Ridley's, known locally as "Caguamas".

The beach (Playa la Ropa) has unfortunately been built up very heavily in the past ten years and it's pretty amazing that the turtles still come there at all. While snorkeling about a mile away from the beach we came across a dead adult turtle with two huge prop gashes across his back - Cruise ships visit the bay daily...

Luckily there are many undeveloped beaches nearby, for now there are still a lot of turtles out there.

made my day.

 

[Miguel]

That is a really cool idea.

However, how many of the eggs laid do they take? All, 75% or 50%?

As much as I love cute little sea turtles, there is the balance of nature that could be upset if all were taken? Many animals rely on this time of year to feed themselves and perhaps their offspring on the turtles?

Unfortantely, poachers really do upset the balance, but only so much not 100%., no?
Thanks for sharing anyway, its a lovely idea and they are super cute!

I believe that more than enough get caught by animals and poachers...

Kudus to all initiatives like this one Dan describes.

 

[coura]

I believe that more than enough get caught by animals and poachers...

Kudus to all initiatives like this one Dan describes.

 

[Jessica Dring]

I believe that more than enough get caught by animals and poachers...

Kudus to all initiatives like this one Dan describes.

Poachers IMO catch more than enough yes..they absolutely disgust me.
But just curiousity, not critisism, if all eggs were to be taken what happens to the predators relying on a small percentage of the turtles for feeding at this time of year?

Or are some of the eggs left?

 

[Miguel]

Poachers IMO catch more than enough yes..they absolutely disgust me.
But just curiousity, not critisism, if all eggs were to be taken what happens to the predators relying on a small percentage of the turtles for feeding at this time of year?

Or are some of the eggs left?

I would belive that some must be lefit, the hotel staff won't be able to discover them all...

And even if they did, a mile down the coast there will still be enough for all the preds..

 

[Jessica Dring]

Ahh okay. Thanks for filling me in