BajaBruceFan
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Todos Santos leatherback turtle release
The first six hatchlings out of an estimated 98 were released last night on the beach. Inspiring to see how hard the little guys work to get to the
ocean! more info here: www.todostortugueros.org
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Acuity
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Nice pictures! Pity the "launch" site is so far up that so-called "road".
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BajaBruceFan
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It was worth the (bumpy!) drive! 
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ELINVESTIG8R
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DianaT
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That is great and love the photos.
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Skipjack Joe
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Smart of them to not release them in Concepcion Bay. 
Or should I leave sleeping dogs lay?
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
Smart of them to not release them in Concepcion Bay.
Or should I leave sleeping dogs lay? |
PLEASE, NO, NO, PLEASE
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dtutko1
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How can we get these pix to the jerks that 4 wheel past the signs outlawing vechicles entering the beach and potentially drive over nests, or would it
matter?
Dorado Don
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heike
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Nice job! Someday I hope to help ....
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monoloco
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Driving over the nests is not the problem so much as the babies can't climb out of the ruts. My neighbor rescued over a hundred one morning this year
that were getting hung up in the tracks.
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BajaBruceFan
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One more! Anyone know if they are releasing any more this week? or too cold outside?!
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Cyanide41
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awesome pics Bruce, are they yours?
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BajaBruceFan
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Thanks cyanide41. yes, my wife & i took some shots at the release the other day.
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BajaGringo
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Fantastic photos. Thanks so much for sharing them...
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ecomujeres
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| Quote: | Originally posted by monoloco
Driving over the nests is not the problem so much as the babies can't climb out of the ruts. My neighbor rescued over a hundred one morning this year
that were getting hung up in the tracks. |
Actually, driving over nests really is a major problem, causing nest compaction and leading to exclusion of oxygen in the developing nest, as well as
making the eruption from the nest more difficult (and sometimes fatal as they run out of energy reserves before they make it).
It would be nice to see the laws enforced but local communities/people really have to proactive in preventing these behaviors as well.
I spent three days at the Grupo Tortuguero meeting in Loreto at the end of January, where results of turtle conservation programs in Baja and the Gulf
states were presented. I have to really give credit to the local communities in the Cape region who are working so hard to protect and conserve these
wonderful animals.
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mulegemichael
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i KNOW that driving over the nests is bad but my experience on the east cape from many years of guiding down there, seems to me the biggest enemy is
the wiley coyote.....EVERY turtle nest i've come upon over the years is surrounded by coyote scat...they just seem to know when it's gonna happen
dyslexia is never having to say you\'re yrros.
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oxxo
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I volunteer with the Turtle Hatching project in Los Cabos. The biggest threat to the nesting sites on the Costa Brava is ATV's and unleashed
domesticated dogs. Consequently, we dig up the eggs as soon as they are laid and re-bury them at the proper depth in a hatching pen which may have a
dozen nests in it at any one time. The pen is checked by a securiity guard about every hour, 24 hours a day. We have been experiencing a hatching
rate of greater than 90%.
Our hatching season was over in early November. I am surprised to hear of a hatching in the Todos santos area.
Suerte
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duke62
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Great photos, great comments, great community this is on the web.
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ecomujeres
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| Quote: | Originally posted by mulegemichael
i KNOW that driving over the nests is bad but my experience on the east cape from many years of guiding down there, seems to me the biggest enemy is
the wiley coyote.....EVERY turtle nest i've come upon over the years is surrounded by coyote scat...they just seem to know when it's gonna happen
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Michael, you're right. Many of the tortuguera communities at the Loreto meeting stated in their presentations that predation by coyotes and dogs was
commonly the primary threat, directly followed by vehicles on the nesting beaches. However, for other groups/areas, vehicles were the worst.
Interestingly enough, human poaching (at least along protected stretches, I should say) has decreased a great deal as vigilance is high.
The coyote/dog/vehicle problem is why so many of our GT groups have taken to removing eggs to fenced hatcheries where they can be protected from
natural and human threats alike.
I was interested to learn that some sites are now even using plastic green houses to counteract the unseasonably cold weather (for the leatherbacks
only, not the Olive ridleys) and get them babies hatched! (Temperatures that are too low during the nesting season result in eggs failing to develop,
a threat that is on the rise it seems as the climate is changing).
I'm glad to see such great interest in our reptilian friends and hope that you all take the time to educate your less informed friends (of whatever
nationality) about staying off the beaches in their vehicles and keeping their dogs under control.
Now, who's in charge of those wily coyotes?
DV
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