Fun with Turtles!

Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (photo from internet)

OK! THIS is the kind of stuff that makes cruising really fun!
Yesterday evening Chris, Mary & I went to Nuevo Vallarta and were able to take part in releasing baby turtles into the sea. What fun!
When we arrived there was a small children's wading pool that was full of turtles that had just hatched within the previous 48 hours and were anxious to get on their way to the water. The folks in charge of the release program gave a short presentation about the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (which is what these were). These turtles are on the endangered list and Mexico is doing a great job of trying to protect them and help them to re-populate. In Mexico, it is a felony to touch a turtle...even if it is a dead one! Further, turtle eggs are still a real delicacy here and are often a part of wedding feasts and other ceremonies as they are considered to promote fertility. There is still a large black market for the eggs so the authorities have their work cut out for them.
We were told that these little babies (and they are really little...not even as big as the palm of your hand) have to swim all the way to the Marietta Islands (about 10 miles) before they are "safe" and only about 5% will likely make it. There are lots and lots of predators between here and there. Here are a couple of the really interesting things we found out:
1) The sex of the turtle is determined by where the egg is in the nest. The ones on the bottom, where it is cooler, will be males and the ones closer to the top (warmer) will all be females.
2) All the babies are born with a "power pack" built into their tummies. This is a special energy "pack" that activates as soon as they hit the water and will provide the nourishment they need for 15 days while they are traveling to their "safe" area.
3) Once they are in the water, the male turtles will never come back to land again. Only the females return and only when they need to lay eggs.
4) The releases are done at different times and in different places so that the fish (ie: predators) don't "learn" where they can find these delicacies on a daily basis.
The baby turtles are very, very cute and they feel like velvet. They are a bit slow moving when you put them on the sand (and seem to get tired out and take rest periods) but once they get to the water they are gone like a shot.
Being a part of this activity was something we all enjoyed immensely and will always remember. Since we often see these turtles when we are out sailing it was really fun to be there at the beginning of the cycle.

Note: Photos and video courtesy of Chris!