THE ENVIRONMENT

Saving the Turtles

IN 1995, MEXICO'S most popular rock and roll band, Maná, released Cuando los Ángeles Lloran (When Angels Cry) the title song for which honors the Brazilian labor organizer, "Chico" Mendes, who struggled to stop the logging of the rain forests and at the age of 43 was assassinated for his efforts.

On the same album is the song Selva Negra (Black Forest) which correspondingly laments the destruction of habitat and ecosystem. Putting words into action, Maná became the driving force behind La Fundación Ecológica Selva Negra, A.C. (The Selva Negra Foundation www.selvanegra.org.mx) which pulls together various government agencies and businesses to help protect the environment.

One of the Selva Negra projects is just outside of Puerto Escondido at Playa del Palmarito where we recently stopped by to watch the hatch and release of 400 some Golfina (aka Olive Ridley) turtles. Along this 22 kilometre stretch of beach, a few paid employees and a lot more volunteers work between October and April, seven days a week, mostly at night, to collect the turtle eggs and rebury them inside a protected fence.

As they collect the turtle eggs they also pick up the trash they find along the way that has washed in from the ocean or been left on the beach by irresponsible beach goers. The day we visited I counted 20 large garbage bags of mostly plastic which they had collected in just two days.

While sea turtles have few ocean predators, large sharks mostly, the major decline of these endangered turtles over the last 20 years has been due to human exploitation of their eggs and meat.

Depending on the species, the eggs hatch within 45 to 60 days and the baby turtles set off at sunset for the short crawl into the Pacific Ocean. Only a small percentage will be lucky enough to become adults and make it back to bury their eggs in an attempt to complete their natural cycle.

You can visit the folks at Playa del Palmarito, a few kilometres out of town headed NW on Highway 200. Turn off at Laguna Chica, there are signs for the Cruz Azul Football School.

Ruperto Ortega Lisama and his son David are happy to accept visitors and donations.

You can also see turtle releases at the El Tomatal and Chila Fiestas.
(Check the calendar page.)

Gabriel de la Cruz Silos can be found dispensing cars and tourist advice at Económica Rent-a-Car in Zicatela