For the last couple of visits to Todos Santos Gail has expressed a strong desire to participate in a turtle release at Las Playitas. The releases are announced at various times when eggs in the greenhouses maintained by Proyecto Todos Tortugueros begin to hatch. Interested parties are notified early in the day by email when a release is to take place. I am as much of a nature freak as the next guy. I’m a minor league birdwatcher, whale watcher, you name it I’ll watch it.
http://mongrel4u.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/i-like-to-watch-chance-the-gardener-being-there-1979/ But the drive to that particular beach is daunting, even for some of the locals.
We had already had a couple aborted attempts to make the ten mile trip to the beach where the turtles are released. Once last year we drove all the way there but got there two hours before sunset. The itty bitty tortugas have to be released as close to night time as possible to minimize the possibility of predator interaction. On that occasion I played the part of the old curmudgeon who didn’t want to hang out at any stinkin’ old beach for two hours. Truth told I was horrified by the effect that the unbelievably rocky road was having on “Ballena Azul” and was not thinking favorably of the drive back in the dark, with parts falling off along the way. We tried again earlier this trip and had to turn back because I noticed we were nearly out of gas.
Today I just couldn’t come up with any more excuses, we’ve only got a few more days left here, and I couldn’t live with a disappointed esposa for another whole year, so I packed my anxiety in the trunk and at about five o’clock we took off for La Playitas Beach. The road, thank the prevailing deities, had been slightly improved and we got there in time to see the baby Olive Ridley and Leatherback Turtles being signed in for their epic trip to the Pacific. Two members of the staff were measuring the length and width of each turtle while they gave us some basic information about the greenhouse where the temperature is regulated to make sure it’s not too cold for the hatchlings.
Let my turtles go.
After a while we were led to the beach, given a turtle to hold in each hand (just the Olive Ridleys however; the leatherbacks may not touch turista flesh because of government regulations) and when the staff member in charge said it was okay, we released them. It was interesting to note that the baby leatherbacks used a breast stroke style to move n the sand while the Olives used more of an Australian crawl. We all quietly exhorted them as they slowly struggled toward the surf.
I am slowly struggling to finish this blog after that bumpy ride over ten miles of corduroy road and the subsequent quarter mile walk to the beach and back on soft sand. Did I mention I’m old? Let me just hope these pictures are worth the thousand words I’m too tired to write.
A tortuga in both hands is better than George In a Bush.
Fistful of Turtle
Leatherback Breast Stroking To the Pomised Land.
Ah, Michael… you & Gail truly live a charmed life! Your turtle release brought me to tears, just the fact that I know someone who actually took part! I can only imagine what it must have been like and I’m so grateful that you generously share it with such clarity and humor. Thank you to Gail for getting the “old man” to brave the journey for a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Teri
Why are the turtles in greenhouses and staffed? Are they endangered and being saved from extinction? Love the last picture.
We are just a bit below the Tropic of Cancer here, and although the turtles lay their eggs in the Las Playitas sand sometimes the weather can be too cold for the eggs to hatch properly. They need more heat to insure that more turtles hatch. Yes, they are endangered.