Turtle centre on Isla Mujeres - Tortugranja
October 8th, 2007 by Barbara Soldi
Most species of sea turtles are now endangered, and The Estacion de Investigacion Pesquera on Isla Mujeres is an example of the efforts which are being made all over Mexico to repopulate the ocean with the local turtle species.
The EIP assist turtles in their most critical phase of life: mating, laying of the eggs, caring of the nests, and birth.
The adult turtles are first selected for breeding and kept in the centre during mating time and for the time required to the females to lay the eggs in the corral.
Turtle eggs are a delicacy for many predators (humans having been the most predominant threat in the recent past), and the EIP make sure they are protected, so that a baby turtle comes out from almost every egg laid in their incubation corral.
After birth, the little turtles are nursed and kept first in small pools, and then in protected areas of sea near the shore until they become big enough to be self sufficient and to be released together with their parents.
Only one negative note: when I arrived to the turtle centre I noticed I could buy some turtle food together with the entrance tickets. I personally do not think this is a good idea, as the turtles’ diet should be balanced and regular, and they should not be overfed by curious tourists who just want to see them as close as possible.
A few photos of EIP
November 4th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Hi, it’s me again climbing up on my soapbox.
Ok, so they have a turtle centre. I have not been to see it and would like to but in any case….
Check out the centre at Xcacel. They patrol Xcacel and Xcacelito beaches every night for half the year through the whole nesting season. They mark and monitor all nests and recover the eggs from any that are at risk for one reason or another. The recovered ones are released to the sea at night once they hatch. They monitor well over a thousand nests every year.
T our shop on the beach and at Dreams Tulum we have basically the same program in place for the beaches of Tankah Tres all the way from Punta Cadena to the ruins. Last year we had over 800 nests that we monitored and we put about 100 into a corral for safekeeping and released them all at night as they hatched.
I am not sure if it is necessary or desirable to put the turtles in a pen in order to have them breed and lay eggs and then raise them essentially by hand. These turtles may not have the instincts they need to survive in the open ocean and there is some merit to the wild ways of natural selection to ensure that the fittest survive.
I think that the program is essentially for the benefit of the tourists and is designed as such. There may be some merit to this as public awareness is very important to all conservation issues. Tourism in all it’s forms is also vital to the local economy so the enjoyment of the tourist, or travelers if you prefer is pretty important too.
Comments welcome,
Tim
November 4th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
Me again and one more point I would like to make back up on my soapbox.
Our reefs are being rapidly depleted of their fish and other animal populations by local fishermen. They are pretty good at what they do and find a ready market, mostly selling to restaurants. The problem is the nearly insatiable appetite that the majority of visitors and locals have for seafood creates a market for the fisherman to sell their wares.
I don’t blame the fishermen for trying to make a living. The problem lies in the demand and the blithe disregard of the general public for the massive depletion of the wild populations of the creatures in our seas.
Barbara, you mention in your posting the great seafood on Isla Mujeres…. I hope my comments give you some ‘food for thought’.
Ref: A Sea Change by Sylvia Earle
Ref: The Unnatural History of the Sea by Callum Roberts
These books would give any reader more than a little food for thought
ps I read A Sea Change about 8 years ago and almost completely stopped eating seafood although I love it!!
Act out your beliefs and speak out against what you consider wrong. It’s your responsibility.