SEA TURTLE CAMP
The waves of the Pacific Ocean crash forcefully against the beach of Puerto Arista; the conditions are not ideal, but the symbolic act of releasing the turtles must be carried out.
There stands “Libertad” facing the immense sea; like her companions, she is now ready to embark on a 10-meter race for life, or, as happens in most cases, toward death.
Before releasing her, give your little turtle a name and a kiss, one of the twenty collaborators of Tortufest 2012 suggests over the loudspeaker.
Restless in the hands of the participants, as if already longing to be released and eager to face that water monster, the little turtles flap their flippers incessantly.
-On the count of three we will release the turtles…
An adult “Hawksbill” turtle stands out among the “Olive Ridley” hatchlings, barely 5 centimeters long; she was treated at the turtle center for an injury to her shell and will now be returned to her habitat.
She is in a hurry or afraid, for she flaps so hard that she leaves the arm of the secretary of the environment, who holds her firmly, reddened.
-It is important that you do not move from your places because the waves make the little turtles come back and you could step on them. One, two, three…
And off go the 300 tiny creatures, some faster than others, several remaining motionless, the children cheering them on shouting, come on, come on! They heed the call of the sea, which catches them with its foamy waves.
In the distance their little heads peek out; no one taught them to swim, no one told them where to go or how to defend themselves from their enemies; we trust that, by nature, they will know what to do.
Only one in a thousand
The sea turtle conservation project in the state of Chiapas, run by the Secretariat of the Environment and Natural History, has been coordinated for the past ten years by Mireya Domínguez Aquino.
For the preservation work, there are four turtle centers in Chiapas: Costa Azul in the municipality of Pijijiapan, Barra Zacapulco in Acapetahua, as well as Puerto Arista and Boca del Cielo in Tonalá.
The Tortufest is a festival held every year in Puerto Arista; on this occasion Mireya looks tired and worried, and she says there was little promotion, they did not even give away T-shirts or caps as keepsakes, “we are on a tight budget, with nothing.”
In a hurry, she answers the questions about the work carried out at the turtle camps.
-Starting in the month of August (until November) turtles have been released every day; right now we have released approximately 146 thousand turtles.
She makes it clear that the release during the Tortufest is a symbolic act.
-It is done constantly, especially with the “Olive Ridley” species, which is the one that comes to these places; today they were released three times at night, that must be the time because it is when there are no predators.
At the entrance to the turtle camp is the incubation pen, a kind of nursery where turtle eggs –“Olive Ridley” and “Black”, the only species that come to Chiapas- are planted in the sand.
Starting in the month of May, when the rainy season arrives, every night the conservationists mount their ATVs in search of turtle nests all along the beach; when they find one, they collect the eggs and take them to the pen where they can incubate safely.
It takes 45 to 55 days for the little turtles to hatch, and afterward they are released. Unfortunately, only one or two turtles reach reproductive age, that is, 12 years.
Through nighttime patrols the volunteers also find injured or sick specimens, transport them to the turtle center and provide them with medical care; after they recover they are returned to the sea.
Turtle hatchlings are easy prey for large fish and seabirds, but above all for a more voracious and unaware predator: humans.
Egg poachers vs. conservationists
-It's really simple: as long as we don't buy turtle eggs, the poachers won't have a market, the Tortufest host says emphatically.
From May to September or October is when there is the greatest presence of sea turtles on the beaches of Chiapas, and therefore it is during those dates when there is the largest supply of eggs.
The main objective of this event is to raise awareness about the care of the sea turtle, which is in danger of extinction; the preservation work involves the participation of the authorities, employees, locals, and tourists.
-People buy turtle eggs because they have the false belief that they are aphrodisiacs, but that is false; in fact, the only thing they contain is high levels of cholesterol, said the Tourism Delegate of the Isthmus Region, the local Alfredo Iglesias, in an interview.
The people who carry out the nighttime tours say that they frequently confront the poachers, a group that also roams the beaches looking for nests but with a purpose different from conservation.
The Navy: “Mean-looking” but fierce defenders
In this edition of the Tortufest, an award was given to the 14th Naval Zone of the Secretariat of the Navy “for its invaluable support, effort, and dedication in favor of the conservation and protection of the sea turtle on the coasts of Chiapas.”
Lieutenant Eduardo Candelario Sánchez Manzanilla was the one who received the award from the young secretary of the Environment and Natural History (SEMAH), Fernando Palafox.
Lieutenant Manzanilla, who is a marine ecologist and a native of the state of Guerrero, drew applause when he said that since his arrival in Chiapas 8 years ago, he was amazed by its natural beauty, “I would not leave here, and if they transfer me I'll come back,” he said.
In his remarks, Fernando Palafox emphasized that without the work of the Secretariat of the Navy of Mexico, the turtle conservation efforts would not be possible since, “they not only participate in the collection and care of the turtles but also in the care of the participants, volunteers, and workers.”
-As a military institution, we are very committed to the conservation of natural resources; we work against oil spills and illegal fishing, and without the personnel you see there in the background, it would not be possible, the Lieutenant said proudly.
Serious and with great bearing, the four Marine infantrymen observed the formal ceremony, and afterward they allowed themselves to be photographed with the award that also belongs to them.
It has been 22 years now…
For the past two years, the release of sea turtles has been carried out symbolically, no longer as in previous years when thousands of them were released; with this, the aim is to ensure that the little turtles do reach the sea.
More than four million turtles have been released since the conservation project began 22 years ago; a simple mathematical calculation gives us the result that only 4 thousand of them have returned to the beaches to reproduce.
Sea turtles need a little push to be free and fight for life; the new generations must understand that if these tasks are not carried out, the great biodiversity we have in Chiapas could be lost.
There stands “Libertad” facing the immense sea; like her companions, she is now ready to embark on a 10-meter race for life, or, as happens in most cases, toward death.
Before releasing her, give your little turtle a name and a kiss, one of the twenty collaborators of Tortufest 2012 suggests over the loudspeaker.
Restless in the hands of the participants, as if already longing to be released and eager to face that water monster, the little turtles flap their flippers incessantly.
-On the count of three we will release the turtles…
An adult “Hawksbill” turtle stands out among the “Olive Ridley” hatchlings, barely 5 centimeters long; she was treated at the turtle center for an injury to her shell and will now be returned to her habitat.
She is in a hurry or afraid, for she flaps so hard that she leaves the arm of the secretary of the environment, who holds her firmly, reddened.
-It is important that you do not move from your places because the waves make the little turtles come back and you could step on them. One, two, three…
And off go the 300 tiny creatures, some faster than others, several remaining motionless, the children cheering them on shouting, come on, come on! They heed the call of the sea, which catches them with its foamy waves.
In the distance their little heads peek out; no one taught them to swim, no one told them where to go or how to defend themselves from their enemies; we trust that, by nature, they will know what to do.
Only one in a thousand
The sea turtle conservation project in the state of Chiapas, run by the Secretariat of the Environment and Natural History, has been coordinated for the past ten years by Mireya Domínguez Aquino.
For the preservation work, there are four turtle centers in Chiapas: Costa Azul in the municipality of Pijijiapan, Barra Zacapulco in Acapetahua, as well as Puerto Arista and Boca del Cielo in Tonalá.
The Tortufest is a festival held every year in Puerto Arista; on this occasion Mireya looks tired and worried, and she says there was little promotion, they did not even give away T-shirts or caps as keepsakes, “we are on a tight budget, with nothing.”
In a hurry, she answers the questions about the work carried out at the turtle camps.
-Starting in the month of August (until November) turtles have been released every day; right now we have released approximately 146 thousand turtles.
She makes it clear that the release during the Tortufest is a symbolic act.
-It is done constantly, especially with the “Olive Ridley” species, which is the one that comes to these places; today they were released three times at night, that must be the time because it is when there are no predators.
At the entrance to the turtle camp is the incubation pen, a kind of nursery where turtle eggs –“Olive Ridley” and “Black”, the only species that come to Chiapas- are planted in the sand.
Starting in the month of May, when the rainy season arrives, every night the conservationists mount their ATVs in search of turtle nests all along the beach; when they find one, they collect the eggs and take them to the pen where they can incubate safely.
It takes 45 to 55 days for the little turtles to hatch, and afterward they are released. Unfortunately, only one or two turtles reach reproductive age, that is, 12 years.
Through nighttime patrols the volunteers also find injured or sick specimens, transport them to the turtle center and provide them with medical care; after they recover they are returned to the sea.
Turtle hatchlings are easy prey for large fish and seabirds, but above all for a more voracious and unaware predator: humans.
Egg poachers vs. conservationists
-It's really simple: as long as we don't buy turtle eggs, the poachers won't have a market, the Tortufest host says emphatically.
From May to September or October is when there is the greatest presence of sea turtles on the beaches of Chiapas, and therefore it is during those dates when there is the largest supply of eggs.
The main objective of this event is to raise awareness about the care of the sea turtle, which is in danger of extinction; the preservation work involves the participation of the authorities, employees, locals, and tourists.
-People buy turtle eggs because they have the false belief that they are aphrodisiacs, but that is false; in fact, the only thing they contain is high levels of cholesterol, said the Tourism Delegate of the Isthmus Region, the local Alfredo Iglesias, in an interview.
The people who carry out the nighttime tours say that they frequently confront the poachers, a group that also roams the beaches looking for nests but with a purpose different from conservation.
The Navy: “Mean-looking” but fierce defenders
In this edition of the Tortufest, an award was given to the 14th Naval Zone of the Secretariat of the Navy “for its invaluable support, effort, and dedication in favor of the conservation and protection of the sea turtle on the coasts of Chiapas.”
Lieutenant Eduardo Candelario Sánchez Manzanilla was the one who received the award from the young secretary of the Environment and Natural History (SEMAH), Fernando Palafox.
Lieutenant Manzanilla, who is a marine ecologist and a native of the state of Guerrero, drew applause when he said that since his arrival in Chiapas 8 years ago, he was amazed by its natural beauty, “I would not leave here, and if they transfer me I'll come back,” he said.
In his remarks, Fernando Palafox emphasized that without the work of the Secretariat of the Navy of Mexico, the turtle conservation efforts would not be possible since, “they not only participate in the collection and care of the turtles but also in the care of the participants, volunteers, and workers.”
-As a military institution, we are very committed to the conservation of natural resources; we work against oil spills and illegal fishing, and without the personnel you see there in the background, it would not be possible, the Lieutenant said proudly.
Serious and with great bearing, the four Marine infantrymen observed the formal ceremony, and afterward they allowed themselves to be photographed with the award that also belongs to them.
It has been 22 years now…
For the past two years, the release of sea turtles has been carried out symbolically, no longer as in previous years when thousands of them were released; with this, the aim is to ensure that the little turtles do reach the sea.
More than four million turtles have been released since the conservation project began 22 years ago; a simple mathematical calculation gives us the result that only 4 thousand of them have returned to the beaches to reproduce.
Sea turtles need a little push to be free and fight for life; the new generations must understand that if these tasks are not carried out, the great biodiversity we have in Chiapas could be lost.
