Sea turtle facts

[Anne]

From Playa Times

Sea turtles or marine turtles are a vital part of the ecosystem here in the Mexican Caribbean. Six of the world´s seven sea turtle species are found in Mexico, of which, three are most common in this region (green, hawksbill and loggerhead). They are a common site when scuba diving in the region but only make their way to land to nest. They make their nests from 40 cm depth to a meter and there, they lay up to 50 – 100 eggs or more. The sex of the offspring will be determined by the temperature of the nests. When the females do drag themselves onto the beaches, they move slowly because their fins are designed to swim in the sea. In the sea, they can reach up to 35 kilometers per hour.

cajatextoThe probability that these eggs develop into adults is extremely low as there are a number of threats including other animal species that scavenge to eat the eggs. There are also egg traffickers and the occasional curious tourists that damage them unintentionally. If a baby sea turtle does hatch and makes its way to the sea, they run the risk of being eaten by bird and other animals in the sea. For these reasons, a low percentage actually make it to adulthood and reach sexual maturity.

Unlike land turtles, they can not pull their necks into their shells. Their ears are unable to be seen by the naked eye but are highly efficient. Other characteristics vary depending on the species, including age at which they reach sexual maturity, life expectancy and their physical characteristics. They can have a strong and colorful shell, various colors and textures. Some reach sexual maturity as early as three years and up to 30 years, depending on the species. Some species of sea turtles can live up to 150 years. It is said that for every 1,000 turtles that come to Cozumel to nest on the beach, depositing about 100 nests each, not even half of these eggs return to the sea to become an adult and later continue the process. This is why it is so important to make the effort to conserve these species.

In Cozumel, more than 25 years of work has been done to preserve these creatures. At night, the nests are monitored and registered to make sure when they return 52 days after their arrival (which is the time needed for their offspring to hatch), they will still be there and protected.

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