the historic eating of sea turtles

A unique article I stumbled across today at the online journal The Appendix, about the history of eating sea turtles in Baja. You can read the whole article here.



"For centuries the Baja California peninsula was known as the Island of California, a mythical land populated by Amazons and griffins, covered in gold and pearls. Sea turtles swam in the surrounding Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortés, and have appeared in written and oral sources over four hundred years of the peninsula’s recorded history. Conquistadores, pirates, missionaries, whalers, and fishermen have, at different moments, relied on sea turtles for sustenance, commerce, and medicine. These sea turtles have an important place, both pragmatic and symbolic, in the history of the mythical “island . . ."

Quote: Originally posted by Cliffy

Had fried turtle with Papa and family in Gonzaga in the very early 70s It ain't bad. Anyone remember the male rite of passage to lay one upside down, slitting the throat and drinking the blood as it spurted out? I do!

Cliffy:

Had the opportunity to eat fresh-water snapping turtle in Kentucky back in 1972. Toughest part was butchering the damned thing... no one had, so we worked our way through it and cooked what most looked like meat (messy things!) It was spectacular eating. NO, it didn't taste like chicken; more like beefsteak.

History has always had a different kant on who-eats-what. The Hisatsinom (Ancestral Pedro and his wife, Annie Zazzie) were a culture that fed the turkey from the table and had dog meat for dinner on Thanksgiving.

Food is food. Now, the Tortuga/caguama is protected, and rightfully so, especially the eggs and nesting sites. It has become the issue of our stewardship to the small orb we share that's shrinking daily.

If we could only find a proper way of preparing seagulls and pelicans...

Quote: Originally posted by alacran

I had it when it was still legal on the menu, at Casitas and Candil, breaded and soup, it tastes la veal.

I had turtle at the Diaz compound at the Bahia, as late as the mid 80s, IIRC. I think it was a New Year's celebration. We were staying at the Villa Vita.

It was fried and pretty tough. I was not impressed.

Apologies if this offends some, but I had or have any idea if it was illegal back then.

The good news is that turtles are making a strong comeback in the Sea. I see them often, out in the boat and one day counted over fifty sightings.

Nesting sites are being monitored and we have participated in one, Mexican Government-sponsored release of captured eggs that were then incubated in an ice chest in someone's garage. The release turned into a much larger event than it should have been (thanks, Facebook, ) as it was difficult controlling all the kids that were determined to get between the turtles and the ocean. But it was good that it exposed so many young Mexicans to the beauty of sustaining these creatures.

I have a cheery story to add to the thread; about 10 years ago while wintering in Bahia Concepcion one of the campers on our beach found 3 large Tortuga in a mangrove swamp estrero about 400 yards south of our cove. They were obviously poached and bound for shipment after dark. The camper was a newbie to Baja, but very insistent on trying to save them. Several of us huddled and came up with a solution; he (the guy that found them) drove into Mulege and went straight to a Local businessman, very respected in the community, and one of them gawddanged enviornmeddlers when it comes to the sea. He alerted the right people in PROFEPA and by that afternoon there were 3 or 4 Govt. vehicles on-scene loading these 150 lb. behemoths into the backs of the trucks. It took 3 to 4 sturdy guys to lift each one onto the bed of the pick-ups, and we got to help.

The Officials talked to 2 different fish camps that "of course had no idea" where they came from, and gave them an incredibly stern warning that you could tell they meant serious business. Plus, the area had been a bat-ray-carcass dumping ground for months and was a total mess; they made the fishermen come over the course of a week and clean the entire area up.

The turtles were taken to Loreto for veterinary care and rehabilitation. About 3 - 4 months later I was walking past the business that made the call for us, and the owner came running out of the store to grab me... took me inside and back into his office, and live on the internet they were just releasing two of the three back into the sea at a Loreto beach, complete with TV coverage and a nice gathering for a fiesta of life, with the usual speeches.

We were both very happy. I'm sure the turtles were too.

[Edited on 4-5-2015 by bajabuddha]

Cheery indeed. Thanks for sharing! High five.

Cabo Pulmo survivor, seen during my travels last summer.

I have a few long ago memories of sea turtles.

Maybe the first time I personally saw turtles being caught for food was just offshore of Acapulco in 1961. Dad and I were on a charterboat and heading out to the fishing grounds. First time experience for me and I was pumped up, believe me.

We were not that far out and underway at a pretty good clip, when the captain suddenly shouts and points to something. A deckhand then just leaps overboard and quickly swims over to a large sea turtle and grabs it by the shell just behind the head, tilting it up and forcing it to swim back towards our boat.

They pull it onto the deck and flip it onto its back. Captain says he is taking it home for his family to eat. It was left there in the sun to await it's fate. It struggled and struggled with it's flippers to right itself, but couldn't do much. I stared at those soulful eyes for a long time and felt bad for it. Somehow, it just didn't seem like a fair catch and after all, we were after sail and marlin. I guess Dad felt the same and went to talk to the captain. Then the deckhand grabs the turtle and heaves it overboard. Dad had given the captain a hefty bribe to let it go, because he didn't want to mar my first saltwater fishing trip with a bad memory. I realized from that day on that my father thought like me and vice-versa...an amazing revalation for a 15 year old.. and made him bigger in my eyes than he was already.

Feelings aside...food is food, and I suppose the next charterboat to come along behind us gathered up that great dinner bonus of a sea turtle quite smartly...business as usual with no gringo nonsense.


Later on...in 1973 Baja Sur, my amigo Randy (far right) and I spent a long night shrimping with a trawler that had been anchored in Coyote Bay for a couple weeks. We had made friends with them and got invited to join in the overnight catch. (Hint: If you do a trip like this, bring lots of air freshener!)

This was a common sight when the nets were hauled...bycatch. In the mess of odd things caught were many types of young fish, now and then a sea snake, deep water shells, small bottom sharks (bottom left) ...and sea turtles. There were two small Olive Ridleys under this mess and a larger turtle laid on it's back. (upper left)



In the 70's turtle was served in many restaurants in Mulege..whenever they could get it. I could never eat it. Just me.

Then one Christmas we were invited over to the Diaz ranch in Coyote Bay for a community dinner. Well, I knew what to expect, because I had seen the flipped-over live turtle there for some days already and politely told Manuel that I didn't eat turtle and would provide some other dinner treat. He and his wife were gracious hosts and added my cooked cabrilla to the feast. We also had roast goat which was delicious...but I never could bring myself to eat turtle...anywhere.

Maybe one day I will try some commercially raised alligator snapping turtle soup...I doubt I'd get the fuzzy feeling from them like I do when I come upon a Ridley sea turtle swimming on the surface far out to sea.

Tortoises, on the other hand, are a different matter. Not a great starter out of the gate at our rodeos.



[Edited on 4-5-2015 by Pompano]

I have had many wonderful underwater encounters with sea turtles:


But the saddest was about 30 years ago in the Sea of Cortez (sorry about the image quality):


I was diving from the great old liveaboard boat Baja Explorador with my daughter Coleen off the north face of Isla Partida. At about 60 feet we came across a large green sea turtle which was wedged into the rocks. Unfortunately it had died, unable to escape the predicament. From the appearance of the body we could tell it had died very recently, so we told the Explorador crew about it when we returned to the boat. They got very excited and three of them took a panga off to the site to look for the turtle. They found it and had a helluva barbecue for the crew that night.

Cruz Diaz (Papa Diaz's wife) was FAMOUS for her turtle steak dinners and pilots would arrive once the word got out about her planned dinner item.
It was served when my parents and I ate there in 1967 (I was not quite 10 years old) and do not remember it, or even if I was served any. We were the rare guests who arrived by land instead of air.

The following photo and caption was taken by Desert Magazine editor Choral Pepper...


Turtle in Papa Diaz' pen, Bahia de los Angeles.

FYI for next time

Quote: Originally posted by bajabuddha

Had the opportunity to eat fresh-water snapping turtle in Kentucky back in 1972. Toughest part was butchering the damned thing... no one had, so we worked our way through it and cooked what most looked like meat (messy things!) It was spectacular eating. NO, it didn't taste like chicken; more like beefsteak. :

Once upon a time I am sure it was an important food source. Now I like to see them while on in/on the water and suggest fish, chicken or beef make a better meal

Quote: Originally posted by basautter

Once upon a time I am sure it was an important food source. Now I like to see them while on in/on the water and suggest fish, chicken or beef make a better meal

Quote: Originally posted by Ken Bondy

I have had many wonderful underwater encounters with sea turtles:

The only time I tasted it I thought it tasted more like Spotted Owl than chicken

Quote: Originally posted by Skipjack Joe

Quote: Originally posted by Ken Bondy   I have had many wonderful underwater encounters with sea turtles: Marvelous image Ken!

Thanks Igor! One of my favorites!! Cocos Island, Costa Rica, somewhere in the 90s