~  Newsletter No. 239,  January, 2022 ~

Hola Volunteers and Supporters ~

Turtle wise: The 2021 nesting season has come to a challenging end, and now it’s time to take a break and enlist volunteers for the coming season.  We expect there will be a few late-season nests between February to mid-July.  If these late nests are in a safe area, they will be left in place to hatch naturally, as they have for millions of years. 

The omicron pandemic has caused a ripples in our program, two of our volunteers had become infected with the Omicron virus, but their symptoms were mild.  Two others returned to the US earlier than expected, feeling that it was safer.  The remaining sixteen members and volunteers feel comparable and safe here in San Pancho.  Also, per 100K people, México is safer than the US in all categories. 

Due to a spreadsheet error, the total number of nests relocated last season was reduced to 1,157, while the estimated total number of hatchlings that made it to the sea was reduced to 92,028.  Over 57 nests were poached, and 10 nests were washed out.   The updated grand total for the season came to 1,224, still the second-largest season.

I have received many emails and telephone calls asking for the date and time of the next hatchling release.  Unfortunately, because of the ongoing pandemic, we will not be publicly releasing hatchlings until it is safe again.  Also, if we do release again, it will be between mid-August to mid-November.

Releasing of hatchlings around the world and especially in third world countries has become questionable, and never-the-less is responsible for the demise of millions of hatchlings.  The cause;  If hatchlings are confined in containers for hours, in some cases for days for the pleasure of tourists, primarily at resorts and hotels, will depleted their energy and reduce their chances of surviving a long journey out to sea. 

January Volunteers:  Karen Sorum and Hallie Loveridge, Juan Flores and family, Taylor Kimbell, Katie Grant, Esteban Millard, Gale Greer and Loren Greer.

Weather-wise:  Temperatures during the day were in the high-70’s° to low-80’s°, while nighttime temps were in the mid to high 60’s°.  Mostly, cloudless sunny, warm days.  January rainfall came to .03 inches, just enough to screw up that polished car.

We are about to purchase a used Can-Am Outlander 450 all-terrain vehicle; this vehicle will be licensed by Semarnat for use on the beach and will join the dune buggy. It will also help us keep a better eye on poaching and those who are illegally harvesting hatchlings to sell to hotels and resorts. 




Our recent donors are: Sallie Mitchell, Patricia Schmidt, Patrice Gail Lefebvre, Caren Elkan, Ronald Walsh, James Ewing, 3D Digital Photos, Jennifer Nelsen, Rickey Burke, Claudia Kroberger, Karen Hope and Gale Greer.  We are very grateful to receive your donations! Without your help, we would not be able to do our work.

Town and Country wise:  After building a million-dollar, state-of-the-art sewer plant to service San Pancho around five years ago, we are still dumping sewage into the lagoon, and are still not hooked up to it. 

Building may be slowing down a little as the convoy of construction trucks in front of my house has slowed down a bit.  And what does liquid-faction and condominiums have in common, perhaps an 8.5 earthquake or stronger. 

Good news for the Marine turtle and “a win-win for commercial fisheries and marine wildlife, researchers have found that using lighted nets greatly reduced accidental bycatch of sharks, rays, sea turtles, and unwanted finfish.”

Frank Smith, Director.
Grupo Ecológico de la Costa Verde, A.C.
Our email is: grupo-eco@project-tortuga.org
Our website is: http://www.project-tortuga.org
Our Facebook site is: San Pancho Marine Turtle Conservation
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/projecttortugasanpancho
 
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Come Visit our Turtle Nursery!

Call in advance so we can prepare for your visit!
Please Note that we work at Night so Morning Calls May be Missed.

Grupo Ecologico de la Costa Verde
102 America Latina,
San Pancho, Nayarit, Mexico
Tel: 311-258-4100
Email: projecttortuga@gmail.com
grupo-eco@project-tortuga.org