bill erhardt - 9-14-2010 at 06:44 AM
One night in El Cardonal I was awakened by a dog barking at a tortuga laying eggs in the sand about 15 feet outside my door.
bill erhardt - 9-14-2010 at 06:46 AM
Young Sara congratulates the tortuga on a job well done.
bill erhardt - 9-14-2010 at 06:50 AM
And the mother-to-be beats a retreat into the sea.
At sun-up the next morning locals were combing the beach following the tracks out of the sea to the turtle nests. The eggs were either consumed
locally, or sent to La Paz where they were reportedly sold for 10 pesos each.
bill erhardt - 9-14-2010 at 06:58 AM
Some did survive, however, and were hatching out when I was back a couple of months later......
Pompano - 9-14-2010 at 07:45 AM
Great photos, Bill. Especially nice to see charm and good feeling from the young girl with these creatures.
Too bad about the eggs being consumed and/or sold, but it's part of Baja for now.
Iflyfish - 9-14-2010 at 07:50 AM
Let's wish them well on their journey and do all that we can do to protect these amazing creatures! Their survival is a miracle.
Iflyfish
bill erhardt - 9-14-2010 at 07:58 AM
Roger.....Thanks. It was the same little girl who found the hatchlings and is holding them in the last shot.
These pics were taken 8 or 9 years ago. I don't spend as much time on the East Cape now as I did then, but it seems to me that generally on BCS
conservation efforts toward tortugas are much more widespread now among both locals and gringo transplants.