May Billion Baby Turtles Update

And here we are, June is the month of the Sea Turtle Week, and we are very excited with lots of fun things during the best week of the year! This month for Billion Baby Turtles, we supported 6 different projects in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Cuba with US $22,000 in grants and expect to help almost 100,000 baby turtles. This year to date, we have supported our partners with US $72,000 in grants and have helped save more than 278,000 baby turtles so far.

Ayotlcalli A.C., Playa Blanca, Playa Larga, Barra de Potosi, Guerrero, Mexico

Campamento Tortuguero Ayotlcalli was founded in September of 2011 with the purpose of protecting and help increase the population of three species of marine turtles that nest within 15 kilometers of beaches that include Playa Blanca, Playa Larga and Barra de Potosi in Zihuatanejo. This non-profit organization works with the assistance of several local and international volunteers who performed various activities such-as, night patrols searching for nests, once located, the eggs are relocated into the hatchery, pertinent data is recorded and when the hatchlings are born, they are safely released into their vast new home. This year, this program won the Grassroots Award during the 42 International Sea Turtle Symposium in recognition of their efforts. Billion Baby Turtles supported Ayotlcalli with US $2,500, helping to protect the 3 different species that nest on these beaches (olive ridleys, leatherbacks and black turtles) and more than 7,500 baby turtles.

Black turtle hatchling - Photo: Ayotlcalli

Latin America Sea Turtles (LAST): Cahuita & Pacuare North Beaches, Costa Rica 

The Caribbean shoreline is also one of the most important nesting locations for leatherback and green turtles. The beach of Pacuare north counts between 300-500 leatherback nests and 100-150 green turtle nests in a regular season. Local protection in Pacuare is crucial and also benefits sea turtle conservation programs in neighboring countries as it aims at the same turtle population. Pacuare beach also registers between 5-15 nests each season of the critically endangered hawksbill turtle. Without any protection efforts whatsoever, many nests and even adult turtles would be lost for illegal practices that are still common in this area. Billion Baby Turtles supported this project with US $4,000 and hope to help more than 350 baby turtles to get to the ocean.

Leatherback hatchlings: Photo Latin American Sea Turtles

Since 2000, LAST organizations has worked for the protection and conservation of nesting hawksbill and green females and baby sea turtles in Cahuita Beach. During the last decade, it was estimated that 90% of the nests at this beach were lost by wildlife predation, illegal egg collectors, or washed out by the ocean. Cahuita’s nest population represents one of the highest numbers reported for hawksbill turtles in Costa Rica. For this season, through our Billion Baby Turtles program supported this project with US$ 3,500 to help more than 8,500 baby turtles reach the ocean.

Ocean Foundation: Guanahacabibes National Park, Cuba 

Since 1998 the Ocean Foundation’s Cuba Marine Research and Conservation Program (CMRC) has built strong scientific collaboration and conservation programs between Cuba, the United States, and neighboring countries that share marine resources. Eight beaches are patrolled during the nesting and hatchling seasons (May to October) in Guanahacabibes Peninsula. As for green turtle nesting population, it is the second largest of the Cuban archipelago and also exhibits high levels of hatching success. Billion Baby Turtles supported this organization with US $3,000 for this season, helping approximately 20,000 baby turtles to get to the big blue.

Green turtle nesting in Guanahacabibes. Photo: Sergio Romero Torras

Barreros de San Luis, Guerrero, Mexico

Our new partner Barreros de San Luis, located in the municipality of Técpan de Galeana in the state of Guerrero, Mexico, is made up of more than 40 local people who support the protection and conservation of sea turtles. They protect the critically endangered Pacific leatherback and also the green (locally known as black turtle) and olive ridley sea turtles. The main threat in this area is illegal hunting of eggs and adult turtles. For almost 10 years they have protected 90% of leatherback turtle nests in their hatchery and the rest are protected both: in situ and in the hatchery. With the efforts of all collaborators and with good management practices, more than 80% hatching success in the 3 species has been achieved. They protect up to 3,500 nests of olive ridleys, 150 leatherbacks nests, and 50 black turtle nests. With US $5,000, we expect to help them protect more than 42,000 baby turtles. 

Quelonios, Guerrero, Mexico

Another new partner this month, is Quelonios, located in the town of Playa Ventura in the municipality of Copala, Guerrero, Mexico. This organization consists of 15 people belonging to the Afro-descendant community dedicated to the protection and conservation of the 3 species of sea turtles that nest on this beach. For almost 15 years, they have protected more than 80% of their olive ridley and more than 90% of leatherback and black turtle nests. Unfortunately, this community continues to face the illegal taking of nests and the killing of adult turtles by people from surrounding communities who sell eggs, meat, and other derivatives such as turtle blood and oil for consumption. Additionally, there are a large number of dogs on this beach, which prey on the nests, hatchlings and can considerably injure some adult nesting turtles. Billion Baby Turtles is supporting this project with US $4,000, and expects to help almost 20,000 baby turtles to get to the ocean.