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 News from Around Banderas Bay | October 2006 
Baby Sea Turtle Release at CasaMagna Marriott
 Bob Cohen - PVNN
| | Just as the sun is setting a long line of kids are holding their own baby turtles ready to release them into the sea. | 
| | Even reporter Bob Cohen had a baby to release. He named it "Esperanza" ('hope' in Spanish). | 
| | Bob's neighbors Lowe Matheson and Blake Stowers with their two month old baby Caleb that was born in Puerto Vallarta were joined by Josefina Naya (C), Marriott's Supervisor of Marketing and Public relations, while they enjoyed their first turtle release experience. | 
| | These local happy local Vallarta kids were exciting about giving the babies an opportunity to crawl out into the water. | 
| | Now that is a bunch of baby sea turtles from just one nest. |
Every year, thousands of "Golfina" sea turtles come to Puerto Vallarta to lay their eggs on our beaches, and over the last five years the CasaMagna Marriott Resort has been doing their part in the protection and conservation of this endangered species through their Marina Turtle Protection Program.
The Marina Turtle Protection Program is a large part of the Marriott's "Spirit to Serve" philosophy. In the past three years the number of nests, eggs and released turtles at the resort has more than doubled. In 2004, there were 192 nests and 18,000 eggs collected at the Marriott nursery; 13,495 of which resulted in the release of baby sea turtles. The number of nests in 2005 increased by about 25%, and this year it has almost doubled.
An estimated 470 nests with 36,800 collected eggs and a much larger percentage of the eggs will hatch, according to figures collected thus far this season. 32,000 baby turtles are expected to be released this season, which runs from June through December.
The most active month is October, but over the past few weeks, the CasaMagna Marriott resort has been releasing the babies on a daily basis. In fact, earlier this week at sundown, Oscar Aranda, a biologist who works in coordination with the National Institute of Ecology and the Puerto Vallarta Municipal Department of Ecology, supervised a turtle release at the Marriott that was attended by hotel guests, friends and family members of the resort's employees.
Sea turtles breach the water to come upon shore and lay their eggs however, due to the daily activities at a beach resort, beaches are hardly a safe place for a turtle nest. Under the supervision of Aranda, the resort staff patrols the beaches to gather turtle eggs, which are then transported to the nursery just steps from the beach, for incubation while still in their nests to best conserve natural conditions.
About 45 days after the sea turtles lay their eggs; the hatchings emerge from the sand and become ready to be released on the beach with the assistance of the recreational staff and the public. Tradition has it that the children name their baby sea turtle, wish them luck, and set them free to find their way to the water. Luck is what they do need as only about 5% of them survive through the first night. The main reason they have difficulty making it through that first night is that they are eaten mostly by fish and some by birds.
On this night, 600 turtles from seven nests were released, and it was an absolute joy to watch and participate. I named my baby turtle "Esperanza," which means hope in Spanish. As the sun set, a large group of families lined up on the shore of the Marriott beach, each given a turtle to place on the sand at the command of Oscar. Explicit instructions on how to hold them and then place them on the sand just a few yards from the incoming surf were given. On Oscar's call of "uno, dos, tres," the children placed the babies on the sand - and within five minutes all of them disappeared into the water.
Oscar explained to the group [in both Spanish and English] about the life of the surviving turtles, which is one of nature's unknown phenomenons. After one year at sea, the turtles find their way to shore wherever the currents might have taken them. Reports are that some travel as far south as Costa Rica during their first ten years of life. Amazingly, once the turtles are ten years old, they come back to the beach of their birht to lay their own eggs. With no explanation other than one of nature's unknown mysteries, they travel up to 1000 miles and come right back to the Marriott at the age of ten.
The "Golfina" sea turtle typically lives to be between 45-50 years of age. The Marriott would like to create a social conscience in all of its visitors and the local community about the conservation of this species. Should one desire to take part in a release, call the Marriott and ask to be connected with the appropriate person. This time of year, one might find themselves on the beach that same night. Take advantage of one of nature's treasures and experience a turtle release. This is an opportunity that individuals have to help such an endangered species. I will never know, but hopefully Esperanza will be back at the Marriott in ten years to lay more eggs. |
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