Turtles travel far – A historic Register

Author: Melisa Errickson – Reserva Playa Tortuga

On Saturday night, Óscar, director of the Tortuga Beach Reserve (RPT) in Ojochal, had a hunch and decided to accompany some volunteers who would monitor Playa Hermosa. It is a place that in recent months has received dozens of olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) that come to nest.

Before the sun rose over the mountain, the team of local volunteers and members of RPT were ready to tour the beach.

Around five in the morning, one of them spotted a turtle footprint, everyone was amazed to contemplate and witness the first nesting record of a Pacific Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) in Playa Hermosa.

They remained silent and calm before such a wonderful experience so as not to interrupt the nesting process. The fact that it appeared during the day attracted a lot of attention since, according to the RPT director, turtles are quite shy.

⚠️ Some cool facts about the Pacific Green Turtle:

➡️ It is a species declared in danger of extinction, and the populations of the Eastern Pacific are highly threatened and its population reduced.

➡️ Many call it Black Tortoise since it has a darker coloration than those of the Caribbean.

➡️ They are the second-largest turtles in terms of size.

➡️ The length of the shell reaches about 89 cm.

➡️ They can weigh more than 100 kilos.

➡️They reach their sexual maturity between 25 and 35 years.

➡️It is believed that they can live to be 70 years old.

➡️ The biggest threats are bycatch, hunting and looting of nests, the loss of nesting habitats, and the oceans’ pollution.

⚠️ It seems important to us to make a call to the neighbors who frequent this beach. Although one part has been committed to the conservation of these species, on the other hand, there is misinformation regarding the care that the turtle habitats should have, as is the case of Playa Hermosa. Although it is a public beach, we must be respectful with the animals that use these same spaces, even more so in endangered species. We ask you to keep pets controlled or on a leash and not leave the fires lit since these could be factors that would affect a Turtle’s nesting.

We invite the community to continue working together, as has effectively been done this year.