If the Earth were formed from four to five thousand million years ago, as we now believe, and if the oceans were formed soon afterwards, then our planet’s mantle of water is very old. Even though we have no direct evidence of what happened in those misty beginnings, we can deduce a sequence of events that might account for the formation of our planet and its restless seas.

T.F. Gaskell; Essayist, 1968
The Earth and Its Oceans Oceans
G.E.R. Deacon; General Editor Director
National Institute of Oceanography, England

Each year from July until January hundreds of marine turtles ripe with eggs return to the Cuyutlán-Paraiso beach in the state of Colima, Mexico where they temporarily leave the restless sea to crawl onto the beach. Here they scoop nesting holes in the dark volcanic sand in hopes that the treasures they bury will hatch and survive to perpetuate the 180 million year evolution of their species. Though not present at the beginning, they are an ancient and integral part of Earth’s evolution and a vital link in the marine ecological system.

Our beach attracts three of the seven modern species of sea turtles that visit Mexico. During the nesting season we welcome the return of the Golfinas, or Greens, also known as the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea); the Black Sea Turtle (Chelonia agassizii); and the Laud or Leatherback Sea Turtle, (Dermochelys coriacea) to our volcanic sand.

A large part of our mission is to protect both the turtles and their eggs along the 30 kilometers of the Pacific shore that is our responsibility. Since 1990 it has been a federal crime to kill or otherwise molest sea turtles in Mexico, or to interfere with their nests or take eggs from them. Those who are caught in the act of interfering in any way with their natural migration and nesting cycles are subject to harsh penalties.

The federal government can impose jail sentences of from one to nine years in prison as well as fines ranging from 300 up to 300,000 pesos. These sanctions also apply to those who possess products made from turtles, such as lotions or jewelry. For more information or to report infractions you can contact the Mexican environmental protection agency PROFEPA at 01-800-770-3372, Delegacion Colima at 312-314-1829, or El Tortugario at 313-328-8676 or 313-322-8209.

In spite of the consequences there are those who steal eggs and harm sea turtles. A few weeks ago, in July of 2005, some of the Tortugario staff surprised poachers in the act and recovered a knapsack containing over 200 eggs. On August 10th of this year conservationists found the bodies of 80 slaughtered Olive Ridley Sea Turtles on Escobilla Beach near Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca State. They had been killed so the poachers could steal the eggs without waiting for the mothers to nest.

Here on our beaches some poachers misdirect mother turtles in order to more easily steal their bounty. The females choose damp sand in which to excavate a nest. Some of the egg thieves wet the sand in certain areas so the turtle will follow the damp sand up to a pre-marked site to lay her eggs. The lawbreakers then return to check their traps and steal the contents.

The major market for sea turtle eggs is cantinas. Purchasers sprinkle them with salt and lime juice, and eat them raw because they believe them to be aphrodisiacs. Very much to the contrary they are extremely high in artery damaging cholesterol which could cause the opposite effect.

These people do irreparable harm to the planet’s marine ecosystem for a pittance. In Mexico’s poorest state, Oaxaca, sea turtle eggs can be purchased for as little as one peso. That’s about the value of a U.S. dime. In our area the eggs normally fetch anywhere from 3 to 7 pesos each. That’s a monstrously small price for such a valuable life.

To put this in context, last year we released a record 93,597 hatchlings into the sea. On average, only 1 in 1,000 will survive to sexual maturity. That means we can expect to see fewer than 100 of those young ones return to the Cuyutlán-Paraiso beach.

We are grateful to the government of the municipality of Armeria, of which Cuyutlán is a part, for their support of our efforts to help the turtles continue their 180 million years of evolutionary development.

By the end of the 1993 nesting season we found 134 nests, collected 11,889 eggs, and released 6,168 hatchlings. The charts below show our progress.

Nidos protegidos tells how many nests we were able to locate and protect from poachers and other predators.
Huevos sembrados tells how many eggs we were able to harvest from the nests and hatch out.
Crias liberadas tells how many hatchlings we released back into the Pacific Ocean.

To achieve these successes we patrol the beaches at night to collect eggs as soon as they are deposited in the sand. We take them back to the Center where we place them back into nests in our turtle incubation facility. This area is fenced to discourage larger predators, and shaded to prevent overheating the eggs.

As the eggs hatch we release the majority of the young back into the sea. For those who wish to share in this exciting experience we return the hatchlings to the sea each Saturday after 4:00 p.m. You are invited to participate. Photos of a recent baby turtle release are here…

Each year about 1,500 Golfinas (Greens) nest on the Cuyutlan-Paraiso beach. Only about 25 of the Negras (Blacks) choose our beach each year.

The third turtle that visits our beaches is the Laud or Leatherback. The largest of the sea turtles, they can reach a weight of more than one ton and a length of up to three meters. Obviously they are too large to be kept for study but they are the most endangered of the species that nest here. We are especially vigilant in our efforts to locate and preserve the eggs laid by the ten to fifteen who favor us with their attendance each season.

Sea turtles are a living reminder of the Earth’s millions of years of evolution. Fossil records show that the earliest sea turtles evolved during the late Jurassic period, 144 to 208 million years ago. Our shared stewardship will help assure their continued evolution for millions of years into the future.

E-Mail Don Adams at dondelmundo@yahoo.com