Dinner Fundrasier for Baby Turtles at Outback Steakhouse
by Biol. Oscar S. Aranda Mena | published: 9/21/2007
The summer has come and with it the sea turtles, who faithfully return year after year to deposit hundreds of eggs on area beaches. There are positive and negative developments to report on this coming season which lasts from June to December. On the one hand are the noble and important day to day efforts made on our beaches to protect these noble marine visitors, while on the other hand, we continue to discover atrocities that some continue to commit against these ancient and humble creatures. Vallarta by Night  While most of us here in Puerto Vallarta are sleeping peacefully in our homes, a miracle of evolution is taking place on local beaches. Dozens of sea turtles are quietly emerging from the sea in search of a safe place to lay their eggs, in a painful, almost hour-long effort (us much as 45 minutes out of the water are generally needed to for a turtle to find a suitable site, dig a deep nest, lay its eggs, cover the nest, then arduously return to the ocean); enough time to be discovered curious passersby who often unwittingly disturb the heavy mother turtle as they scramble to capture her in a "souvenir photo", invariable forcing her to retreat to the safety of the ocean without having even begun to complete her difficult quest only to return the next night to try again. In addition to the energy expenditure that this represents (remember these animals that have all but lost their ability to move about on land), each night they face an endless barrage of dangers and man-made obstacles such as piers, breakwaters, restaurant furniture and décor, beach loungers, garbage; not to mention unscrupulous poachers who wait to kill the mothers just to steal their eggs. Positive Developments Despite the myriad of challenges facing the turtles, both on land and at sea, one must highlight what good is being done in Vallarta and recognize those people, hotels and condominium councils that have put their trust in the efforts being made along our coasts.  The ecological police of Puerto Vallarta, along with the efforts of local Naval Base military members help to carry out the necessary monitoring of beaches and are responsible for transporting the nests to one of the nine special turtle nurseries currently operating in the area. The area beaches most frequented by nesting turtles are Los Muertos, and Marina Vallarta, with an expected collection of some 1.600 nests in Puerto Vallarta alone. Despite all these efforts, of the hundreds of “tortuguitas” (turtle hatchings) that make it back to the oceans with the help of this team of volunteers, a relatively small number will actually survive due to numerous natural predators; it is estimated that 1 out of every 1.000 will survive to adulthood. This is why the simple act of protecting the eggs during their incubation will ensure that thousands more will have the opportunity to reach the ocean, dramatically increasing the overall survival rate (estimated at 5%). Comparing these percentages, you can clearly see the importance of these conservation efforts, seeking to preserve one of the oldest living species on the planet, that have survived to this day virtually unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs. On the Negative SideAs with any non-profit activity, whether societal, cultural or ecological, the resources available to this program are entirely dependant on the generous annual donations of individuals and companies. However, locating and attracting this support is increasingly challenging and the turtle conservation program is currently operating with a deficit and struggles further in the face of illegal activities that overshadow their achievements. Even More SeriousFurther, the current threats which the sea turtles face must be strongly denounced, as it has pushed three species to the brink of extinction. The frenzied and unjustified hunt for their eggs, due to false energy attributions, has forced the “hueveros” (egg hunters) to no longer hunt for nest along area beaches as they have traditionally done. They now pursue and kill the turtles while still at sea, on route to area beaches, just to collect a handful of eggs; not to mention the enormous illegal market for their meat and skin. We should feel honored to have these wonderful animals nesting on our beaches. It is not enough to repudiate and reject the cruel and illegal practices that are committed daily right under our noses, but in truth we must do more. Something more means that we must actually help to meet the goals of the turtle program, either by giving or collecting much needed fund (or at the very least) pitching in by actually volunteering for one of the many important and rewarding turtle rescue programs.
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