Chelonia mydas, Green Sea Turtle
The Green Sea Turtle is the most active turtle on Playa Norte beach, active from May to October. We have 50-60 active nests at the moment and 80% of them are Green nests. The name comes from the green fat they have from eating so much seagrass. They have a tear dropped shape shell, which is usually light colored and contains five vertebral scutes and four lateral scutes. While working with them on the beach, you can dust off some of the sand and see the bioluminescence on the shell. It is crazy beautiful in the moonlight. They can weigh up to 300 kg and can measure between 100-150 cm. The way we tell them apart from Hawksbills, other then size, are the prefrontal scales on the turtle’s head. The Green has two prefrontal scales, while the Hawksbill has four. They nest usually every three years, and are able to nest about three times a season, average clutch size being 120. Most the Greens I have worked have ended up with more then that. The incubation period for the eggs usually lasts 55 days. As for conservation status, the Greens are listed as Endangered on the IUCN list. The main threats being poaching, pollution, habitat destruction and climate change. The Green Sea Turtle is the turtle I have seen and worked the most while on night patrols. On average, if a female actually decides to nest, it will usually take between 2-3 hours for her to dig the body pit, egg chamber, lay, then disguise and return to the ocean. We then disguise the nest and tracks so no one can find the nest. The turtles do not do the best job of hiding their nest. The Green also does not reach sexual maturity till 26-31 years. It is crazy to think that every Green I have seen on the beach is most likely older then I am. The turtles are also pretty unpredictable. They’ll dig a body pit for ages, dig the egg chamber, then right when you think she’s going to start laying, she’ll move her flippers and start disguising. It can get infuriating, but at the same time you have to realize that these turtles only nest every three years. They want to make it count, and if a place does not feel perfect to them then they won’t do it. Even though some of them do lay in dumb places but that is just natural selection at play.
Eretmochelys imbricata, Hawksbill Sea Turtle
The Hawksbill is the smallest of the turtles nesting on Playa Norte, active from June to October. Average length is 60-90 cm and weigh between 45-70 kg. So they are way smaller then Greens. Its carapace also has five vertebral scutes and four lateral scutes like the Green. They feed on sponges, which is why their heads are so small and their bills are pointy, so they can forage to reach smaller sponges. They nest every 2-3 years, with a mean clutch size of 150. Their incubation period is 60 days, similar to Greens. Conservations status being Critically Endangered on the IUCN list. The main reasons being poaching because their shells are beautiful, habitat destruction, climate change, and pollution. I have worked one Hawksbill so far. From what I have noticed, their disposition seems to be more erratic then Greens. The shell is jagged compared to Greens, and they really really do not like to be tagged. They also do not take near as long to dig nests. The Hawksbill barely digs any kind of body pit, while the Green spends a lot of time digging a massive hole. The Hawksbill also does not mature until 20-25 years old.
Dermochelys coriacea, Leatherback Sea Turtle
The Leatherback is the largest and oldest of the marine turtles, the family Dermochelyidae believed to be 100 million years old. So the Leatherback is pretty much the dinosaur of turtles. They are active from March to June, so sadly I missed their season. Not too sad that I missed it though, from what I have heard from everyone here, all the nests got flooded out and none survived. L They have no hard carapace, instead it is a mosaic of bones covered in skin. The length of Leatherbacks usually runs between 130-180cm and they weigh between 300-500kg. Their diet usually consists of jellyfish, which they suck in with their mouths, another good reason not to litter! The Leatherback will mistake a plastic bag for a jellyfish, suck it in, than not eat anymore because it thinks that it is full. They also nest between 2-3 years and are able to nest 7 times a season with a 9-11 day interval. They have a mean clutch size of 80 eggs plus the yolkless, which consists of about 40% of nests. Incubation period lasts a little longer then the other turtles with 65 days. Their conservation status on the IUCN list is Vulnerable and decreasing. Threats are also poaching, habitat destruction, climate change, and pollution.
I am extremely happy to be a part of this effort. These turtles are amazing and need to be protected!
Here are just a few pics I swiped from the web so you can see what they look like! I wish I had my own pics but turtles do not like to be photographed at night!
The Green Sea Turtle is the most active turtle on Playa Norte beach, active from May to October. We have 50-60 active nests at the moment and 80% of them are Green nests. The name comes from the green fat they have from eating so much seagrass. They have a tear dropped shape shell, which is usually light colored and contains five vertebral scutes and four lateral scutes. While working with them on the beach, you can dust off some of the sand and see the bioluminescence on the shell. It is crazy beautiful in the moonlight. They can weigh up to 300 kg and can measure between 100-150 cm. The way we tell them apart from Hawksbills, other then size, are the prefrontal scales on the turtle’s head. The Green has two prefrontal scales, while the Hawksbill has four. They nest usually every three years, and are able to nest about three times a season, average clutch size being 120. Most the Greens I have worked have ended up with more then that. The incubation period for the eggs usually lasts 55 days. As for conservation status, the Greens are listed as Endangered on the IUCN list. The main threats being poaching, pollution, habitat destruction and climate change. The Green Sea Turtle is the turtle I have seen and worked the most while on night patrols. On average, if a female actually decides to nest, it will usually take between 2-3 hours for her to dig the body pit, egg chamber, lay, then disguise and return to the ocean. We then disguise the nest and tracks so no one can find the nest. The turtles do not do the best job of hiding their nest. The Green also does not reach sexual maturity till 26-31 years. It is crazy to think that every Green I have seen on the beach is most likely older then I am. The turtles are also pretty unpredictable. They’ll dig a body pit for ages, dig the egg chamber, then right when you think she’s going to start laying, she’ll move her flippers and start disguising. It can get infuriating, but at the same time you have to realize that these turtles only nest every three years. They want to make it count, and if a place does not feel perfect to them then they won’t do it. Even though some of them do lay in dumb places but that is just natural selection at play.
Eretmochelys imbricata, Hawksbill Sea Turtle
The Hawksbill is the smallest of the turtles nesting on Playa Norte, active from June to October. Average length is 60-90 cm and weigh between 45-70 kg. So they are way smaller then Greens. Its carapace also has five vertebral scutes and four lateral scutes like the Green. They feed on sponges, which is why their heads are so small and their bills are pointy, so they can forage to reach smaller sponges. They nest every 2-3 years, with a mean clutch size of 150. Their incubation period is 60 days, similar to Greens. Conservations status being Critically Endangered on the IUCN list. The main reasons being poaching because their shells are beautiful, habitat destruction, climate change, and pollution. I have worked one Hawksbill so far. From what I have noticed, their disposition seems to be more erratic then Greens. The shell is jagged compared to Greens, and they really really do not like to be tagged. They also do not take near as long to dig nests. The Hawksbill barely digs any kind of body pit, while the Green spends a lot of time digging a massive hole. The Hawksbill also does not mature until 20-25 years old.
Dermochelys coriacea, Leatherback Sea Turtle
The Leatherback is the largest and oldest of the marine turtles, the family Dermochelyidae believed to be 100 million years old. So the Leatherback is pretty much the dinosaur of turtles. They are active from March to June, so sadly I missed their season. Not too sad that I missed it though, from what I have heard from everyone here, all the nests got flooded out and none survived. L They have no hard carapace, instead it is a mosaic of bones covered in skin. The length of Leatherbacks usually runs between 130-180cm and they weigh between 300-500kg. Their diet usually consists of jellyfish, which they suck in with their mouths, another good reason not to litter! The Leatherback will mistake a plastic bag for a jellyfish, suck it in, than not eat anymore because it thinks that it is full. They also nest between 2-3 years and are able to nest 7 times a season with a 9-11 day interval. They have a mean clutch size of 80 eggs plus the yolkless, which consists of about 40% of nests. Incubation period lasts a little longer then the other turtles with 65 days. Their conservation status on the IUCN list is Vulnerable and decreasing. Threats are also poaching, habitat destruction, climate change, and pollution.
I am extremely happy to be a part of this effort. These turtles are amazing and need to be protected!
Here are just a few pics I swiped from the web so you can see what they look like! I wish I had my own pics but turtles do not like to be photographed at night!