Turtle News from Grupo Ecologico in San Pancho Frank D. Smith - Grupo Ecologico de la Costa Verde
November 3, 2013

Hola Volunteers, Supporters and Readers

By the end of October we recorded over 1,083 nests of which 780 were placed within the box nursery. By October 20th, some 455 of these nests had hatched at a success rate of 87% producing over 37,500 hatchlings. The first of 232 nests placed in the beach nursery began to hatch on October 20th, and by the end of the month some 9,528 hatchlings had been released from 150 nests, with a success rate of 69.6%. Nests left on the beach came to 22, while the poachers ran off with 49 nests (.046% of total nests). We found one hatchling that was a cross between an Olive Ridley and a Eastern Pacific Green, white on the bottom and along the edge of its shell and front flippers.

The first nest was placed in the beach nursery on the night of September 5th and within two weeks an additional total of 232 were added. Over the past two months this nursery received over thirty inches of heavy rain. As a result, nests were packed so tight that 7.7% of the hatchlings died when they became pinned or trapped in their shells like a straitjacket. Another 22.2% of these eggs were starved for oxygen in water saturated sand, causing the eggs to appear as if they were sterile. The only good news is that there were few parasitic larvae present.

Just a reminder that the San Pancho Turtle Facebook Page was designed for general information regarding the Group’s various activities.  All enquiries and/or information regarding the Group’s policies, procedures and scheduling should be sent to us by e-mail at grupo-eco@project-tortuga.org.

Volunteer-wise,  Mark and Jessica returned to the States for a three week visit and will be back here on November 6th. Gale and Lorren will arrive around the first of November, a month later than planned. Otherwise, October volunteers were Joslin and Summer Bertrand, Aimee, Brian, and kids Jack and Summer Williams and Robert Hepburn, all from the US - Zsofia Cserhati, Hungary -  Claudia Gambacciani, Switzerland - Norma Patricia Rodriquez, Ernesta Canare and Manuel Murrieta all from San Pancho.   

When conditions are too cold to release hatchlings late at night, we will once again begin releasing in a warmer environment just after sunset, perhaps in front of town. Until then, with the change to daylight savings time and nights being longer, we have changed the release time to between 7:30 to 8:30 pm. To make arrangements to view a release, call 258-4100 or be on the beach between 7:30 to 8:30 pm and flag the buggy down with a flashlight. The release area runs anywhere from Los Olas to the rocky point on the north end of the beach.

Hatching Happenings
• Box nursery, July 17th to October 20th, done.
• Beach Nursery, October 20th to November 7th, half done.
• Box nursery again, November 7th to January 7th.
• Winter beach nursery, January 7th to March 15th.

Town-wise not much is happening. Homeowners and/or their renters have begun to arrive, although it was not until the Halloween weekend that tourists really began to arrive and most of the restaurants opened. The beaches are still somewhat cluttered with driftwood, debris and storm-eroded trenches. The river is flowing through the lagoon in a southward direction to the sea and for now it is not threatening the restaurants. At the end of October the peso was 12.8 to the US dollar and regular gasoline is US $3.61 a gallon. Oh, and the gas station is still closed.

Weather-wise, October was a mixed bag of clear to totally cloudy skies, hot to cool days and humidity ranged from mid 70% to high 90%.  Daytime temperatures were in the high 80°s while nighttime temps were in the mid 70°s. No high winds or waves, or outstanding weather events to report but there was a small 4.2 earthquake centered in the river basin leading up to San Sebastián that was felt here in San Pancho. Rainfall for October was about 2 inches and for the year it is 39.4 inches which is average.

Frank D. Smith
Director, Grupo Ecológico de la Costa Verde, A.C.
Skype -- turtlebee
Tel. 311-258-4100

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