The 2020 sea turtle nesting season along the beaches of Puerto Peñasco has begun, announced César García González, local director of the Federal Maritime Land Zone (ZOFEMAT). Seventy-four eggs were recently removed from the first sea turtle nest reported in the area, which were then placed into artificial incubation to help ensure successful hatching.
Garcia detailed that on August 29th, 911 dispatchers received a call at 11:45 am with reports of a sea turtle on Sandy Beach, in front of the Esmeralda resort. Zofemat arrived shortly thereafter to cordon off the area and provide security for the turtle to safeguard its return to sea.
The area was then secured by private security guards and municipal police until inspectors from the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) authorized nest removal so the eggs could be artificially incubated.
By approximately 3:30 p.m. that day, the biologist Itzel Cárdenas of the Vidanta group had removed the 74 sea turtle eggs for the artificial incubation. Zofemat director García González detailed, as in recent years, the decision to incubate the eggs artificially is due to the vulnerability of the nest, while helping to guarantee the ongoing reproduction of sea turtles.
While this was the first sea turtle nest of the 2020 season, García González indicated there had been additional sightings of sea turtles in the area and they anticipate more nesting in coming days and weeks. He recalled from 2017 – 2019 they have managed to rescue nearly 2000 sea turtle eggs, releasing approximately 1000 baby sea turtles into the sea.