Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – It’s not just tourists that like the beaches of Banderas Bay. Sea turtles love them, too! Puerto Vallarta coast is the birthplace of thousands of Olive Ridley sea turtles and every summer they return to the beaches on which they were born to lay their eggs.
Normally the eggs would incubate in the sand, but recreational activities on Vallarta’s beaches make them dangerous places for baby turtles, so professional marine biologists and trained personnel from the city’s Department of Environment and Ecology conduct nightly beach patrols in search of turtle nests.
When one is found, they carefully gather the eggs and transport them, still in their nests, to local sea turtle nurseries for incubation.
While turtle nesting season generally starts in June and runs through December (sometimes January), the busiest time for the beach patrols is between August and September, when as many as 80 nests can be collected every night. On average, 100 eggs are deposited in each nest, of which around 85% are incubated successfully.
According to biologist Helios Hernández Hurtado, who is also the deputy director of the municipal government’s Department of Environment and Ecology, it is necessary to recover the eggs almost immediately – before natural predators have a chance to destroy the nest.
As we are now in the height of sea turtle season, there will be lots of sea turtles out searching for a place to nest along the shores of Banderas Bay. So, should you encounter a female making its way toward the beach to lay her eggs, here’s how you can help:
• If you see a turtle nesting, report it to the Department of Environment and Ecology, by calling 322-224-9121, or dialing 911.
• Maintain a minimum distance of 10 meters from the nesting turtle.
• Stand quietly behind the nesting turtle – don’t move around.
• Don’t let people form a circle around her. That can be very stressful to the turtle.
• Do not shine light directly on, nor take flash pictures of, the turtle because that could disturb her and make her return to the ocean without laying her eggs, which could affect her health.
• Once the turtle has laid her eggs in the sand and made her nesting bed, avoid stepping on the area as it makes it hard for the mother to find her way back to the ocean.
Though many hatchlings are born in Banderas Bay area turtle camps and nurseries, in reality very few survive. According to the experts, it’s estimated that of every thousand sea turtles released, only one or two will reach adulthood and reproduce, so please do your part to ensure their survival.
For more information, visit the Medio Ambiente Puerto Vallarta Facebook page.