By Nancy Rivard for Reuben Navarro, | Project Manager
Thank you so much to each of our donors and we wish you could have been there for the last turtle release of the season on March 27,2022.
Sea turtle season is really only 6 months. The first turtle laid her eggs in August 2021 last year and the last one laid her eggs in January 2022. It is incredible to watch. It is a lot of effort for the big turtles to climb ashore as these are 80 - 100 pound animals and each one lays about 100 eggs.
Reuben Navaro, Manager of the program watches the beach like a hawk, and when he sees one laying her eggs, carefully and gently moves them to a small shelter which he built, and keeps track of when they will hatch (about 2 months). This shelter is protected by palm fronds to keep them from baking in the sun. He burys the eggs in different areas so he knows when each clutch will hatch
If they begin hatchng in the morning, he keeps them all in a plastic bowl (with some water) and waits until dusk. The tiny turtles make their way to the sea as the sun sets, to better their chances of being eaten by birds or other predators. Sadly only one in 1,000 turtles survive untl adulthood.......and incredibly find the way back to the exact same beach where they hatched! No one is really sure how they do this.
Reuben is preparing to expand the program next year with your support, and provide opportunities for interested conservationists to participate. Stay posted!
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