San Pancho and Turtle News from Costa Verde Ecological Group Frank D. Smith - Ecological Group of Costa Verde
July 3, 2017

Hola Volunteers, Supporters and Readers ~

The first nest of the season was recorded on June 9th, and as planned all nests found in June and mid July will be left on the beach in safe areas. As I have mentioned before, very few nests were recorded between mid-November and the end of May while throughout the month of June we recorded only 19 nests, which is a little above normal.

Also in June we found four dead male marine turtles on the beaches of San Pancho. The die-off of these marine turtles over the past year may have taken a large number of the male population with it. For every turtle that dies and drifts ashore, perhaps 20 to 30 will die far out to sea and sink to the bottom without being noticed. This may cause some nests to be sterile but we will not know for sure until the boxes start hatching around the end of August.

Volunteer wise: June volunteers were Manuel Murrieta, Julio Gonzales and America Rios Tejas, Michelle Berinholt, Hailey Marie Rogala, Amanda Whorley, Sally Munro, Ruby Howard, Jim and Linda Sorter, and Carol Harootunian. Michelle, Hailey and Amanda returned home in mid-June. July volunteers will be Brigid Feeney, Aubrey Sherry, Joslin and Summer Bertrand, Jessika Grindstaff, Angie Dean and kids, Collin Drown and Jessica and Mark Hiller. Statistics for the season, 48% women, 26% men and 26% young adults under 20, with 70% former or return volunteers.

Weather-wise: daytime temperatures were mostly in the mid to very high 80°s, night time temperatures were in the mid to high 70°s. With little rain the lagoon remains closed off to the sea and totally carpeted with water plants. The river is dry which is causing the water level in the lagoon to drop. Total rainfall for June came to 3.41 inches while the total for the year is 4.45 inches. The first thunderstorm and rain arrived on June 26th, with little tropical storm activity.  

Town and Country wise: The amount of litter along the Riviera’s highway 200 from San Pancho to the PV side of the hill is out-of-control. I also noticed that none of the twenty-six “coconuts-to-salt” refreshment stands have a single public trash can. The peso was madly fluctuating between 18 to 19 pesos per dollar; regular gasoline in San Pancho was 16.00 pesos per liter.

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

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