BajaNomad - Todos Santos leatherback turtle release

Todos Santos leatherback turtle release

BajaBruceFan - 2-6-2010 at 09:49 AM

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

Acuity - 2-6-2010 at 10:02 AM

Nice pictures! Pity the "launch" site is so far up that so-called "road".

BajaBruceFan - 2-6-2010 at 10:04 AM

It was worth the (bumpy!) drive!

ELINVESTIG8R - 2-6-2010 at 10:23 AM

DianaT - 2-6-2010 at 03:31 PM

That is great and love the photos.

Skipjack Joe - 2-6-2010 at 03:36 PM

Smart of them to not release them in Concepcion Bay. :lol:

Or should I leave sleeping dogs lay?

DianaT - 2-6-2010 at 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
Smart of them to not release them in Concepcion Bay. :lol:

Or should I leave sleeping dogs lay?

PLEASE, NO, NO, PLEASE :lol:

dtutko1 - 2-7-2010 at 06:58 AM

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?

heike - 2-7-2010 at 07:22 AM

Nice job! Someday I hope to help ....

monoloco - 2-7-2010 at 07:28 AM

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.

BajaBruceFan - 2-9-2010 at 08:56 AM

One more! Anyone know if they are releasing any more this week? or too cold outside?!

Cyanide41 - 2-9-2010 at 12:39 PM

awesome pics Bruce, are they yours?

BajaBruceFan - 2-9-2010 at 12:45 PM

Thanks cyanide41. yes, my wife & i took some shots at the release the other day.

BajaGringo - 2-9-2010 at 01:44 PM

Fantastic photos. Thanks so much for sharing them...

ecomujeres - 2-9-2010 at 07:59 PM

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.

mulegemichael - 2-9-2010 at 08:09 PM

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

oxxo - 2-9-2010 at 09:19 PM

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

duke62 - 2-9-2010 at 09:48 PM

Great photos, great comments, great community this is on the web.

ecomujeres - 2-10-2010 at 10:06 PM

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

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