Sea Turtle Saviors

The Mazatlán Post reports that the Operator and Administrator of Beaches (OAP) has counted some 68 thousand sea turtle eggs that have been rescued so far this year on Mazatlán beaches – 68,468 eggs and 6,365 hatchlings released...

The Administration is responsible for maintenance and operation of 21 kilometers of beach and, subsequent to the closure of the old Mazatlán Aquarium, has also taken on the sea turtle rescue operation. This news strikes a note with me because, on the evening of December 16, 2013, my family and friends were given the privilege of participating in the operation by releasing a few hundred hatchlings into the sea at the Estrella del Mar beach. It was an other-worldly experience that we will always remember and be grateful for.

To watch the tiny new-born turtles exit the hatchery containers and instinctively head in the direction of the sea was an amazing site. Some took more indirect routes, which we occasionally gently corrected, but all understood that the sea was their home and the source of their protection. A very few were captured by gulls that were no doubt familiar with the process, but the vast majority quickly disappeared into the waves.

The director of the Administration, Mr. Luis Fernando Ortiz, is supported in this endeavor by biologist José Barrón Hernández (in charge of the program for two decades) and a cadre of 10 workers and 6 volunteers in the effort to maintain the beaches and protect the sea turtles. They are passionate about their mission and work every night to respond to reports (which the public can make via 911) of turtles nesting on a beach.

There are seven known species of sea turtles: the Flatback, Green/Black, Hawksbill, Leatherback, Loggerhead, Kemp’s Ridley, and Olive Ridley. Five of these occur in Mexican Pacific waters – the two exceptions are the Kemp’s Ridley, which is present in the Gulf of Mexico, and the Flatback (Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia). The Olive Ridley (most recovered), Green/Black, and Leatherback turtles have received protection in Mazatlán.

Flatback/Green/Hawksbill/Leatherback

Kemp's Ridley/Olive Ridley/Loggerhead

All sea turtles are listed as requiring some level of protection by various agencies and organizations. In the United States, all six species of sea turtles that occupy US waters are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This means that it is illegal to harm, harass, or kill any sea turtles, hatchlings, or their eggs. It is also illegal to import, sell, or transport turtles or their products.

In addition to the ESA, sea turtles are protected by a number of other international and national laws and regulations. For example, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) lists all species of sea turtle on its Appendix I, which means that international trade in sea turtles and their products is prohibited.

A number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) also work to protect sea turtles. These organizations include the Sea Turtle Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). These NGOs conduct research, educate the public, and advocate for policies that protect sea turtles.

Mazatlán’s Sea Turtle Protection Program was created in 1991. In the initial year, only 13 nests were registered. In 2022, 1,353 nests were registered and protected, reflecting the over exploitation that had occurred before protection was implemented. Since 1991, some one million 734 thousand eggs have been rescued and over one million 389 thousand hatchlings were released. Currently there are severe penalties in place (3 to 11 years in prison and/or large fines of 25,100 or more pesos) for anyone who captures, damages, or kills a turtle, or collects or stores turtle-related products. Unfortunately, illegal trafficking of turtle products is still an ongoing problem.

In addition to human-related impacts (exploitation, loss of habitat, pollution, vehicles, climate change), turtles are not out of danger on the beach (gulls, raccoons, feral dogs, and other land-based predators) and in the water (fish, crabs, sharks, and other sea-based predators). Studies indicate that out of a thousand hatchlings, only two might survive to adulthood.

I am not aware of the specifics employed by the Mazatlán crew, but the process from egg collection to hatchling release generally follows these steps:

• Carefully collect the eggs from the nest and place them in a container with sand or vermiculite to cushion them and keep them moist.
• Transport the eggs as quickly as possible to the hatchery for incubation in a controlled environment.
• Incubate the eggs in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment. Incubation temperature determines whether the hatchling will be male or female.
• Monitor the incubation progress and remove any diseased or damaged eggs to prevent infection. Only a portion (75-85%) of the eggs will hatch, depending upon whether they were fertilized and the age and health of the female.
• Hatchlings should be released on the same day they are born unless extenuating circumstances (e.g., cyclones or otherwise rough seas) require some delay.

Reflecting back on my family’s experience, I am heartened to know that the Sea Turtle Rescue Program encourages and enables the local community, schools, and tourists to view and participate in the release of the hatchlings every year in order to raise awareness and contribute to the protection of these endangered species. I am sure that all who participate will feel the same joy and wonder that my family and friends felt on that December evening in 2013.

Some sea turtle facts:

• Fossil evidence indicates that marine turtles have been present as far back as the Late Jurrassic (150 million years ago).
• The largest extinct marine turtle relatives had body lengths approaching 12 feet.
• Females and males are the same size (no sexual dimorphism).
• Because of their tapered (fusiform) body (which enhances swimming), they cannot retract their head and limbs into their shell for protection.
• Their limbs evolved for locomotion but also holding, swiping, and forage of food.
• Their nearest extant turtle relatives are the snapping, hickatee, and musk turtles.
• They have an average lifespan life span of about 80 years.
• They conduct long migrations but return to the same beach where they were born to lay eggs.
• There are an average of 90 to 100 eggs in nests created on the Mazatlán beaches.
• They impact the ocean environment by feeding on algae, mollusks, crustaceans, crabs, sargassum, and jellyfish.

Sources: The Mazatlan Post, El Sol de Mazatlan, Wikiwand: Sea Turtle