Burying the eggs
Heading back to the sea
September 2001
| ihana.com - big trip - diary - mexico - september 2001 | route map |
Thursday 28 September
We were woken at midnight and were delighted to find the turtle in the process of burying her eggs only a short distance from our camp. It wasn't long before she finished and turned back towards the sea.
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Burying the eggs |
Heading back to the sea |
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The eggs were then dug up, counted (85), and then brought to the hatchery. If they're left where they are then predators eat them or people will dig them up and sell them as a delicacy.
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The nest |
Gently uncovering the eggs |
The eggs are still soft and warm |
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The nights haul |
Into the box for 45 days |
Plenty of others in here |
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Young ones ready to be released |
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The hatchery is a hut at one end of the beach and houses rows of polystyrene boxes with the eggs inside. It takes 45 days for the eggs to hatch and then the young turtles have enough energy for a couple of days before they have to be released. This night was very rough so we didn't get the chance to see the babies scrabbling to the sea but were content to pick a few up. As few as 1 in 500 turtles will go on to reach maturity and over 140,000 have been released so far in this program. The guy who runs this, Frank, has saved the San Pancho turtle population from extinction.
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T helps out by writing some temperatures down |
The beach buggy and the two volunteer workers from England |
For more info check out their web site at www.vallartaonline.com/costaverde or email at tortuga@pvnet.com.mx
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