Baby Sea Turtle Release in Cozumel

Inspired by a friend's recent blog post about getting to do a Penguin Encounter, (a dream come true as she has always LOVED penguins), I decided to write about one of my own dreams-come-true.

In August of 2009, Mr. Wright, Spitfire, and I took a trip to Cozumel, Mexico.

Cozumel is about 90 kilometers south of Cancun. The island of Cozumel is similar to Cancun, yet it is only about 30 miles long, and 10 miles wide. It has a very quaint, small-town feel, and not as many tourists. The landscapes are completely stunning. The ocean is an unreal color of blue.

This is an actual photo I took

I have loved turtles since I was a little girl and I used to collect little turtle figurines. Over time, the turtle became a symbolic figure, representing me as a person. Turtles have a tough exterior, yet are fragile on the inside. They only allow their true self to be shown when they are very comfortable, but if they feel threatened, they retreat. Naturally, when I heard about a Baby Sea Turtle Release program in Cozumel, I jumped at the chance.

Sea Turtles are on the endangered species list. People have killed turtles for their meat, skin or tortoiseshells. They are also accidentally killed by careless fisherman. Their eggs, and newborn turtles are carried off and eaten by predators, such as seabirds, crabs, sharks, foxes, and raccoons. Turtles can lay up to 100 eggs, but usually only 1 in 100 will survive to adulthood!!! (Can you imagine that? Only one turtle out of 100!) Changes to fishing techniques and conservationist programs are hoping to make a difference.

Conservationists prohibit trespassors on turtle nesting beaches. They mark the nesting sites with sticks and monitor hatchings. When the turtles hatch, the conservationists are nearby to count the hatchlings, and assist their assent if needed. Volunteers are then able to help release the newborn turtles toward the ocean. The theory behind this is that it not only creates awareness about an endangered animal, but the human presence prevents the eggs and hatchlings from being eaten.

Spitfire named hers "Flappy"

Here are a couple videos I took. Please excuse my poor videography.

Obviously I know that we humans often think we are doing good, and this is sometimes not the case. Just as there are volunteer programs that dig wells in third world countries, without teaching the locals how to sustain them, I have no way of knowing if our interference did more harm to this fragile ecosystem than good. But I'd like to think I made a difference in the world, and that I helped save the turtle population. Either way, it was a fantastic memory and a fun, family bonding experience. It was worth every penny I paid to participate.