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The Sea Turtles are Back!

by Biol. Oscar S. Aranda Mena |

Working for the Turtles
Efforts in Mexico in general, and Puerto Vallarta in particular, to protect sea turtles are not always well known, either through lack of resources, time, or sometimes lack of interest by the media. Whatever the reason, it is worthwhile to highlight the efforts made for the turtle every day and with very limited funds. Night after night and year after year, a very small group of people spend long hours to realize the fullest possible protection of turtle nests, aiming to realize the greatest number of successful births.
Each season, the focus is on the search for sponsors and donations (the conservation of sea turtles in Puerto Vallarta is carried out by a nonprofit organizations) to cover innumerable operating expenses. At the same time, the all-night monitoring of municipal beaches in the north end of Puerto Vallarta (where turtles nest more) is already underway, with support from local authorities and the security personnel of area hotels and condominiums. These efforts will extend well into November, as well as throughout the year preparing reports.
Working hours start at nightfall and extend almost until dawn, trying to walk the length of the beaches as often as possible to spot nesting turtles before visiting tourists inadvertently scare them away.

The Same Turtles, Different Problems
Although human predation of sea turtles and eggs is low in the Puerto Vallarta area, the presence of tourists and passersby on the beach to take pictures or touch them places much additional labor on the turtles as it forces them to return to sea without depositing their eggs. This situation forces the turtles to return to repeat the process, demanding much more effort and energy.
It takes about 45 minutes of strenuous physical effort for the turtle to leave the weightlessness of the ocean and choose a safe place, sometimes walking more than 100 meters, then dig a hole about half a meter deep, lay her eggs and finally carefully cover her nest, packing the sand and camouflaging the area before returning to the sea. One must understand that turtles require a degree of privacy to lay their eggs on the beach so they look for a site that allows them to complete the entire process of spawning safely and without interruption.

Observe with Respect
During the turtle nesting process, it enters a state of deep concentration, which is commonly known as a trance. Knowing when the turtle is relaxed, it is possible (always under supervision) for the viewer to observe the turtle more closely and photograph her. What is certain is that the turtle will not tolerate any harassment, and if she senses any danger at all, she will halt the process. After approximately 30 minutes, the turtle spawning is completed; she covers her nest and returns to sea. At this point, properly trained and authorized personnel collect the eggs and transport them to the nearest incubation enclosure and bury them where they will hatch after about 45 days of incubation in the warm moist sand.
The release of the baby turtles is one of the most appealing benefits of the program of great interest to the hoteliers, providing their guests with an additional attraction, which gives us the opportunity to provide informative talks to the visitors. It is with the release of hatchlings into the sea during the evening that culminates the human intervention for sea turtles. And even when the babies are released under the best conditions, their survival will be up to Mother Nature, and her many natural predators, who will decide the future of the thousands of turtles that are released into the sea in Vallarta every season.
You can do your small bit to help us care for them while they are nesting on our beaches. In the end, this is their home and we must respect them. REMEMBER: If you discover a sea turtle nesting, please ALWAYS stay at least 3 meters away and always behind her.

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