Since childhood, I have been smitten with turtles. I loved watching from the edge of a pond as turtles would poke their head above the surface, swim to a log, climb aboard and sun themselves. Their slow-moving persistence always paid off.
Those who know me are not surprised to learn that my most happy retold stories revolve around these beautiful creatures. While on a cruise, we visited Bequia where the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary was established to protect endangered hawksbill sea turtles. I got to hold a smaller 3-year-old turtle who was destined for release. It was about the size of a dinner plate. I was delighted. The weight of a mature sea turtle can vary from 50 pounds to more than 500 pounds depending on age and species.
It was on a recent trip to Costa Rica, however, when my bucket list check-off occurred. I had always dreamed of seeing the sea turtles hatch and make their way to the ocean. Getting to be a participant in the beginning of such a journey was above and beyond any of my expectations.
Led by an employee of Hotel Vista Bonita, who was local to Costa Rica, we arrived at a private beach, where for years the leatherback turtles had been coming ashore to lay their golfball-sized eggs in sandy nests. His friends, the operators of this conservation project, had constructed a fenced area near the beach where turtle eggs are safely collected and counted inside the large enclosure. Each nest is then topped with something that resembled an old-fashioned wire milk crate. A marker notes the total number of eggs in each nest and a date. Thus, the eggs are protected from roaming dogs, humans or birds until they hatch and are ready for release. Each nest contained about a hundred eggs. About two months after the eggs were deposited the hatchlings would appear.
Beneath a crimson sunset, I was given a basket containing 93 tiny hatchlings each smaller than a half-dollar. Using thin gloves and a gentle pinch grip, one finger above the shell and the thumb below, I lifted the tiny turtles one by one onto the warm sand. Their tiny flippers were already flailing before I could set them down. There was little hesitation before they headed to the sea and disappeared beneath the waves. I was told they need to be released on the beach and not the water because the turtle needs to experience the smell and feel of the sand to help them know where to return when ready to nest. Further research termed it geomagnetic imprinting.
Male turtles have a longer tail. The temperature of the sand controls the ratio of males to females hatched. When it’s warmer there are more females. Leatherback turtles feed on jellyfish. Plastic bags are sometimes ingested by mistake which can be fatal. Birds, large fish, fishing gear, pollution and coastal development cause serious mortality rates for sea turtles as they migrate. The eggs are also eaten or sold on the black market, even when illegal. Global warming is also a concern. Conservation and protection of sea beds, mangroves and coastal reefs is necessary for healthy turtle populations.
It will be about 15 years before the hatchlings we released will be ready to nest. Because this the sanctuary has only operated for seven years, they don’t yet know their rate of return. The employee in Bequia boasted a 40% rate but I just recently read that the Old Hegg site is permanently closed. One estimate I saw said that only one in a thousand hatchlings reaches maturity.
Numerous conservation groups are dedicated to research and welfare of the seven sea turtle species. If you love turtles, I hope you will choose one such worthy organization to give financial support. Donate so they can keep their head above water and keep on swimming.
Christiansen lives in Lewiston. She can be reached at petpal535@gmail.com.
