Cozumel's Turtle Salvation Program Begins!

[cozumelinsider]

With an official press conference held by the city Presidente {mayor] Carlos H Blanco on Wednesday, Cozumel's Marine Turtle Salvation Program began in earnest for the 2004 Season. Those in attendance at the press conference included the Turtle Salvation Committee Members as well as the Police and Miltary personnel who will be actively providing security for the turtles during this nesting season.

Grupo IslaMar inauqurated the season with the first all night work session on Thursday night from 10pm - daybreak.

Marine Turtle nesting season for green sea turtels and loggerhead turtles lasts from May until September annually and occurs predominately on Cozumel's less inhabitied east side. You can read more about the Turtle Salavation Program here www.cozumelinsider.com/acs/turtles

Divers visiting Cozumel will see an abundance of turtles on their dives on the west side of the island where all the reefs are but typically these are hawksbill turtles which do not nest here. Sometimes during nesting season in the southern reef zones [Islote, Punta Sur, Columbia, etc.] divers will observe a green or loggerhead turtle on the sandy bottom. Often these are egg-filled females just waiting patiently for nightfall so they can go ashore and safely lay their clutch of eggs. Take a look ~ you might see one too!!

 

[azsilver]

Sherri,
Thanks for the information we talked about this during our resent trip to Cozumel our DM was telling us about the females laying their clutch of eggs on the island. We saw many turtles during our dives! What a treat to see so many turtles...a few even swam over to us as we were doing our safety stop at 20 to 15 feet.

 

[cozumelinsider]

Ha! Judging by the number of views for this post AZ, looks like you are the ONLY one interested in this information on this board!
It's funny isn't it?
Divers supposedly so ecology minded...etc. ~ wouldn't have figured it!

 

[Mako Mark]

I think it is great news Sherri. In fact I have a friend doing a similar thing here in Cancun through the Eco Cancun fundacion.

 

[cozumelinsider]

Wow that's great Mark...didn't know they were doing such over on your side of the water! Tell me more about that program via email if you can. We went out last Thursday for the first time all night ~ kinda slow but its just loggerheads right now.....expecting a very high season for greens [blancas] here later this year so trying to brace for what's coming!

I have a very excited dive group of 20 coming down in July that are going to help us all week as part of their diving plans. [duh...kinda thought other divers would be interested but oh well...]

So what do you do over there ?? Was just in cancun last week for supplies ~ it's getting "BIG" over there!!
LOVE your tag line ~ I really want to steal it!
"I only wear black until they invent something Darker " ....but wouldn't dare! ;-)