Gale in KY
21st March 2008, 01:14 PM
PLEASE take time to read this information. With turtle season fast approaching, it's important for us to do all we can to assist.
Sick Baby Turtles Appearing on the Beaches of Quintana Roo
by Armando Lorences
In recent days there have been reports of hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtle hatchlings appearing on the beaches of Quintana Roo, weak or already dead.
So far the exact causes are unknown. The person in charge of the network of sea turtle stranding in the Riviera Maya, MVZ Ana Negrete, suggests that the turtle hatchlings are suffering from dehydration and weakness. As soon as more information is known it will be announced.
Preliminary results, however, show that plastics have been found in the turtles' stomachs, suggesting they are starving to death. Plastic trash floating in the sea can resemble what the turtles would eat naturally, so they are ingesting the plastic, thinking it's food.
There's also info about what to do if you come across a stranded, sick baby turtle in the near future:
If you find any weak baby turtles, please take a picture of them in place, put the hatchlings in salt water, and take them to Centro Ecológico Akumal (CEA) or to Xcaret Park’s facilities.
If you find a baby turtle a few hours after it has passed away, please take a picture of it in place, and take the turtle, with all that surrounds it—seaweed and sand—to CEA or to Xcaret Park’s facilities.
If you find a baby turtle in a state of decomposition, please take a picture of it in place, bury the turtle, and send the photo to tortugas AT ceakumal.org or paulsn AT ceakumal.org.
We appreciate your help, support and understanding, until more information can be obtained.
Centro Ecológico Akumal: Armando Lorences: (984) 875 9095
Xcaret Park "Turtles": (984) 871 5270
Here's (http://ceakumal.org/bcea_newsletter__march_2008b.html) a link to the CEA Newsletter with complete information
Sick Baby Turtles Appearing on the Beaches of Quintana Roo
by Armando Lorences
In recent days there have been reports of hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtle hatchlings appearing on the beaches of Quintana Roo, weak or already dead.
So far the exact causes are unknown. The person in charge of the network of sea turtle stranding in the Riviera Maya, MVZ Ana Negrete, suggests that the turtle hatchlings are suffering from dehydration and weakness. As soon as more information is known it will be announced.
Preliminary results, however, show that plastics have been found in the turtles' stomachs, suggesting they are starving to death. Plastic trash floating in the sea can resemble what the turtles would eat naturally, so they are ingesting the plastic, thinking it's food.
There's also info about what to do if you come across a stranded, sick baby turtle in the near future:
If you find any weak baby turtles, please take a picture of them in place, put the hatchlings in salt water, and take them to Centro Ecológico Akumal (CEA) or to Xcaret Park’s facilities.
If you find a baby turtle a few hours after it has passed away, please take a picture of it in place, and take the turtle, with all that surrounds it—seaweed and sand—to CEA or to Xcaret Park’s facilities.
If you find a baby turtle in a state of decomposition, please take a picture of it in place, bury the turtle, and send the photo to tortugas AT ceakumal.org or paulsn AT ceakumal.org.
We appreciate your help, support and understanding, until more information can be obtained.
Centro Ecológico Akumal: Armando Lorences: (984) 875 9095
Xcaret Park "Turtles": (984) 871 5270
Here's (http://ceakumal.org/bcea_newsletter__march_2008b.html) a link to the CEA Newsletter with complete information