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Endangered sea turtles from Saona Island – in the Dominican Republic

One of the most exciting things about going to Saona Island in the Dominican Republic is having the rare opportunity to observe a sea turtle in person. When you see one, you know that you are looking at a modern creature that has retained the characteristics of a much older creature. In fact, some say that sea turtles remind them of dinosaurs. If you travel to Punta Cana, don’t miss out on this rare opportunity.

Four species of large sea turtles nest on Saona Island, mainly on the south side. These include:

1. Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

2. Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

3. Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)

4. Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas)

All four species are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN). In fact, both the hawksbill turtle and the leatherback turtle are classified as critically endangered, placing them among the most threatened animals on Earth. Of course, this makes seeing one even more valuable.

When a female sea turtle lays her eggs, she comes out of the water and heads for the beach. This usually happens at night. It digs a hole with its fins and lays between 100 and 150 soft but leathery cream-colored eggs. After laying them, he lightly covers them again with sand. Keep in mind that if you bury them too much, they won’t get the oxygen they need and they will die. Repeat this process 3 to 10 times during the nesting season, returning to the same beach to do so (except for the leatherback turtle). The gestation period is 60 to 80 days, depending on the species of turtle, the temperature and the depth at which they are buried.

When the baby turtles hatch, they run to the sea. If they can reach the mangroves, they will be much safer and have a much better chance of reaching adulthood. However, both the eggs and the young are extremely vulnerable to predation. Birds, crabs, and lizards love to eat them. Although protected by law, there are also human turtle poachers who steal the eggs and hatchlings. Eggs are considered a delicacy by some, and turtle shells and adult turtle meat are also highly valued by some. Wave action can also carry the eggs into the sea before they hatch or cover them too deeply in the sand for them to survive and hatch. For all these reasons, only about 1 in 10,000 sea turtles reach adulthood.

Conservationists are working hard to try to save these beautiful creatures. The most intense conservation efforts on Saona Island are for the hawksbill turtle. Hawksbill turtles travel thousands of miles and if any part of their journey takes them to a place where they are killed or injured, this may mean that the species will not survive. Lay your eggs on Saona Island. To track them, they temporarily detain some of the female hawksbill turtles in a wooden pen after they lay their eggs and attach a satellite transmitter to their shell. This does not harm the turtle, but it allows scientists to track where it goes.

There is a moving story to tell about tagged hawksbill turtles. One of the first to be tagged with a radio transmitter was named after Saona Island. However, it was not called “Saona”. Instead, it was given the name that the pre-Columbian Taino Indians called the island, “Adamanay.” Last time I checked, Adamanay had traveled a total of 1716 miles. After laying her eggs, she had traveled southwest and by her signal it was known that she was searching for food on the Nicaraguan coast. Of course, if she survives, she will return to the same beach on Saona Island in the Dominican Republic to lay her eggs again. Scientists and others are very fond of Adamanay and her other radio-tagged sisters.

The local population has also joined the action to conserve sea turtles. There is a small town of 300 to 400 people on the southwest coast of Saona Island. The town’s school children and some of the adults have been involved in the project and it is partially funded by a local ecotourism operator (see below) who runs the most popular tour from Punta Cana to Saona Island. If you take this tour, you will get to see how the sea turtle conservation project works, meet some of the children involved, and if you are very lucky you will get to see some of the sea turtle hatchlings that are only 1-3 days old. . . These baby turtles are so cute that you may feel the need to pick them up and hug them like kittens. They will surely make you smile a lot every time you think about them.

This sea turtle conservation project consists of collecting some of the eggs immediately after they are laid. They are placed in coolers and in the exact place on the beach where they are collected and the time is recorded. They are kept in refrigerators until hatch (60 to 80 days) and then for an additional 3 days so the baby turtles have a chance to get a little stronger. They then take them back to the same place on the beach and release them. Doing things this way increases your chances of survival from 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 3 – a huge improvement, don’t you think ?! The people involved in this project are incredible people who are totally dedicated to the project and the survival of these majestic creatures.

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