San Pancho and Turtle News from Costa Verde Ecological Group Frank D. Smith - Ecological Group of Costa Verde | |
August 1, 2016 |
Hola Volunteers, Supporters and Readers ~
So far this season we have recorded a scant 60 nests, 50 were placed in the box nursery (See chart below). By the end of July some 169 hatchlings were released from four nests. A higher than normal number of nests were taken by the poachers, about nine.
In mid-July I received a visit from Vicente Peña Aldrete the director of the Naranja marine turtle nursery north of La Penita. He’s a reliable source of local marine turtle information, but his information this time was disturbing. The numbers of nests recorded along the Pacific Coast between Alaska and the tip of Chile have dropped by 50 to 70%, (including our numbers down by 55%).
It is highly likely that the El Niño events of 1998, 2010 and 2016 were responsible for the only three drops in nest records in twenty-five years, 39%, 28% and 55% presently. It is also worth noting that marine turtles will not nest if their supply of food is scarce and/or weather conditions are unfavorable.
We would like to thank Sally Hempel for her generous summer donation. It came at a time when we receive few donations.
June volunteers: Juan Flores Sr, Lisa Fisher, Manuel Murrieta, Julio Gonzales and America Tejas, Patty and Jorge Morales, Kate Derry, Season Rackley, Joslin, Starlie and Summer Bertrand, Sally Munro, Ruby Howard and Katherine McCormick, Juan Jr and Librado Flores.
We have one room in apartment #1 for a couple or one female volunteer between August 1st and October 7th, eleven weeks. See Selected.
Weather-wise: Daytime temperatures were in the high 80°s to low 90°s, while at times the heat index climbed into the mid 100°s. Nighttime temps in the low to mid to high 70°s. Total rainfall for July came to 9.45 inches, for the year, 17.2 inches.
And weather otherwise: Each season the weather in this area gets a little crazier than the year before. So far this month, we’ve received a record setting eight tropical storms and/or hurricanes off our coast, all taking an unusually direct path in the of direction of Hawaii. Then despite the near recorded setting 17.2 inches of rain this year, the river is still dry. The lagoon was opened to the sea by hand on July 28th, but quickly closed.
Town and Country-wise: As anticipated the construction of the sewer line is taking a little longer than planned. On the other hand the ugly barbwire fence that kept the clients of the San Pancho resort from reaching their beach has been completely removed, along with the entire rock retaining wall around the old museum property. No reported cases of the Zika Virus in the State of Nayarit.
I can’t think of anything sadder then a nesting turtle that has just spent an hour on the beach laying her eggs, and then turning in the wrong direction away from the sea, and in the direction of someone’s yard or porch lights. This is serious, please help and view the websites below:
Amber LED coastal lights reduce sea turtle deaths
Ecological Light Pollution #2: “I can’t find my way home!”
If Sayulita had a dozen six foot deep holes in their beach, the next morning there would be about a dozen broken necks from people that could not see the beach or the holes because of the blinding lights. Let’s not pollute our town and beaches with unnecessary blinding lights!
The construction at the old Costa Azul Hotel site is in high-gear; it is going to be a massive and extraordinary beautiful facility when finished. At the La Patrona Polo facility, construction is focused on replacing the roof and remodeling the clubhouse.
Regular gasoline is around 2.68 USD per gallon. The peso itself has been fluctuating from 17.75 to 18.35 per dollar.
Frank D. Smith, Director
Grupo Ecológico de la Costa Verde, A.C.
Project Tortuga
Tel. 311-258-4100
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