In 2005, students from a local High School were involved in a monitoring project meant to determine the reactions of sea turtles to different colored LED lights in the waters. They observed that while red and white lights seemed to have little or no effect, all the species of sea turtle in their study reacted with curiosity to green and blue lights. They recommend that whenever possible, white be used for fishing in sea turtle populated zones, avoiding placing green or blue on nets and lures.

Contacts:

Laguna Ojo de Liebre is one of the premiere spots on the peninsula for gray whale watching. The gray whales stop here during their yearly roundtrip migration between their breeding and calving sites along the Baja California Peninsula, and their fridgid arctic feeding grounds in the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska. To read more about the gray whale, visit Pro Peninsula's Did You Know archive.

Most significant was that the most recent monitoring yielded the largest and heaviest turtles since the project began, which suggests that sea turtles are surviving longer, thus increasing their chances of reaching reproductive moaturity and contributing to population recovery. It is a sign of success for the Grupo Tortuguero, which continuest to strive to help the ancient sea turtle populations of the world continue to thrive for years to come.

Contacts:

Laguna San Ignacio is most well known for being home to the most exciting gray whale watching in the world. Renowned for their friendliness and curiosity, Laguna San Ignacio's gray whale calves are famous for coming up to the small 'pangas,' and nuzzling up to enthralled spectators as their mothers encouragingly push them up towards the boat. Although no one can explain this amazing behavior with scientific certainty, one theory is that due to the small area of the lagoon (6.7 sq miles), the whales gain confidence in numbers and are more comfortable approaching humans.

In their first monitoring year of 2001, the Laguna San Ignacio monitoring team had a modest capture total of 11 turtles. However, in 2002 their results exploded, tagging 96 turtles with only 7 re-captures. Although 2005 saw their rates drop to 43 turtles, with 5 re-captures, they were able to interact with international students from Boston, sharing with them the ecological importance of marine turtles to the peninsula.

Contacts

Ranulfo Mayoral: 011 52 (612) 161 1205

In their first year, they were able to capture 164 sea turtles, going down to 163 in their second year. In 2005, the local community project was only able to capture and tag 84 turtles, a significant reduction from years past. However, the study carried out by Grupo Tortuguero in the same site managed to capture and tag 187 sea turtles, pointing to the possibility that sea turtle populations are still keeping steady in the area.

Contactos:

Contacts:

Loreto has participated in sea turtle monitorings with the Grupo Tortuguero almost since its inception, and in fact it was on a small beach just south of town that the Grupo Tortuguero captured and tagged one of its first turtles. Despite a couple of early years of few captures, monitorings have picked back up in 2006, and so far they've captured 2 black turtles, one on the March 31 and one on April 27; both were in good health and weighed 55 and 121 pounds respectively.

Additionally, the local Grupo Ecologista Antares [Antares Ecology Group] (GEA) focuses its efforts on enforcement, education and outreach, as well as managing the situation of dwindling nests due to coastal transformations brought about by hurricane Marty. In a large part thanks to their efforts, 2004 saw a significant increase in sea turtle sightings and a reduction in sea turtle by-catch.

Most importnatly, much of the Grupo Tortuguero's work would not be possible without the support of the community of Loreto, which has been the host to the Anual GT meeting for nearly a decade. During the 8th Anual Meeting, the people of Loreto received the prestigious Don Manuel Orantes Prize from the Grupo Tortuguero in recognition of their tireless efforts towards helping the group thrive and expand, to the benefit of the environmental movement on the peninsula.

Contacts

The long islands also offer an excellent opportunity to monitor sea turtle mortality by surveying the long stretches of sandy beach where dead turtles tend to wash up. In 2005, the local monitoring group shockingly found 1'108 dead sea turtles on San Lázaro beach; 982 of them were loggerheads.

Much more encouraging are the community developments that have taken place in Lopez Mateos. In conjunction with Proyecto Caguama, the Grupo Tortuguero has carried out numerous educational events in the community, as well as lively festivals celebrating the turtle as part of the people's culture and identity. During the last few years, Lopez Mateos has seen a drastic reduction in turtle consumption, poaching and by-catch, as well as a rise in the use of responsible fishing techniques on behalf of local fishermen.

Contacts

Members from the San Carlos and Bahía Magdalena monitoring teams are also involved in a brand new organization (born in July of 2005) known as Vigilantes de Bahía Magdalena (Magdalena Baykeeper). This group, headed by Julio Solís, is dedicated to surveying water quality in the bay at various points, and creating awareness in the local community about water quality issues. Their work is sanctioned by the International Waterkeeper Alliance, in support of one of the 10 most important wetlands areas in North America, as well as a vital calving site for the Pacific Gray Whale.

Contactos:

Members from the San Carlos and Bahía Magdalena monitoring teams are also involved in a brand new organization (born in July of 2005) known as Vigilantes de Bahía Magdalena (Magdalena Baykeeper). This group, headed by Julio Solís, is dedicated to surveying water quality in the bay at various points, and creating awareness in the local community about water quality issues. Their work is sanctioned by the International Waterkeeper Alliance, in support of one of the 10 most important wetlands areas in North America, as well as a vital calving site for the Pacific Gray Whale.

Contactos:

Contactos:

During their 3 years of work in the area, ASUPMATOMA (Asociación Sudcaliforniana de Protección al Medio Ambiente y a la Tortuga Marina [Southcalifornian Association for the Protection of the Environment and Marine Turtles]) has protected 88% of the nests they've found, releasing a total of 18'113 hatchlings. In addition, they are currently working closely with 18 different hotel companies and 100 important members of the local community in order to promote continuing protection of sea turtles.

Another highlight within the community is the Don Manuel Orantes turtle camp, named after the pioneer of sea turtle conservation in the Baja California peninsula. Children are invited to participate in educational activities, as well as releasing turtle hatchings and helping them find their way to the ocean. The program has a firm belief that we must begin educating and involving children today, if we wish them to create a better world for tomorrow.

Contacts:

Between 2005 and 2006, ACCP (Amigos para la Conservación de Cabo Pulmo [Friends for the Protection of Cabo Pulmo]) carried out monitoring projects mainly on the sea turtle nesting beaches and involving more than 70 local youth. 64 nests were found, 48 of them were successfully protected, although 24 had to be relocated. Their work resulted in 4'590 hatchlings being safely released.

Contactos:

The Seri monitor sites at both Desemboque and Punta Chueca, and have been studying the sea turtles in their waters for 5 years. In 2004 they were able to capture and measure 45 sea turtles, 43 of them black and 2 of them hawksbill. In 2005, the Seri community of Punta Chueca jointly received the Grupo Tortuguero's Don Manuel Orantes prize with the community of Colola, Michoacán in recognition of their efforts towards preserving Baja's Black sea turtles.

One of the Grupo Tortuguero's largest support organizations, Pro Peninsula, collaborated with the Seri people to carry out a traditional Seri Leatherback Turtle Release Ceremony, such as hadn't been held since 1981. During the 4 day event, Seri eldress Cleotilde Morales passed on an important part of her cultural heritage, keeping alive the appreciation and connection between the Seri and the leatherback. If you'd like to view photographs of the ceremony, please visit the Grupo Tortuguero's Photo Gallery, or Pro Peninsula's Photo Gallery.

The Seri monitor sites at both Desemboque and Punta Chueca, and have been studying the sea turtles in their waters for 5 years. In 2004 they were able to capture and measure 45 sea turtles, 43 of them Black and 2 of them Hawksbill. In 2005, the Seri community of Punta Chueca jointly received the Grupo Tortuguero's Don Manuel Orantes Prize with the community of Colola, Michoacán in recognition of their efforts towards preserving Baja's black sea turtles.

One of the Grupo Tortuguero's largest support organizations, Pro Peninsula, collaborated with the Seri people to carry out a traditional Seri Leatherback Turtle Release Ceremony, such as hadn't been held since 1981. During the 4 day event, Seri eldress Cleotilde Morales passed on an important part of her cultural heritage, keeping alive the appreciation connection between the Seri and the leatherback. If you'd like to view photographs of the ceremony, please visit the Grupo Tortuguero's Photo Gallery, or Pro Peninsula's Photo Gallery.

In addition to the nesting program in Mazatlán, the municipality of Guasave under the CIICIR (Interdisciplinary Center for Investigation on Integrated Regional Development) of Sinaloa is one of the most recent additions to the monitoring work of the Grupo Tortuguero. Since their induction, they've engaged in numerous educational and outreach activities, including 15 two session workshops on sea turtle biology and conservation, which included outings to find beached turtles, and witness mother turtles laying their eggs on the local beaches. At one point, participants found a beached olive ridely turtle that had suffered injuries to it's posterior fins, and was severely dehydrated; the turtle (nicknamed 'Singa') was taken to the CIIDIR of Sinaloa for rehabilitation, and was successfully released 4 months later. In addition, the children of the community participated in the Mazatlan Aquarium's annual youth conference, further integrating themselves into the work of the Grupo Tortuguero. The group plans on starting in-water sea turtle monitoring on May 6th of 2006.

Contacts:

Throughout 2005, they patrolled a 3 mile long beach, watching for and tagging turtles during 24 hour stretches. As a result, they were able to protect a total of 3'300 incubated turtle nests, totalling 259'320 eggs, most of them black sea turtles. When added to the nest totals not under incubation which were nonetheless monitered and protected, a grand total of 235'202 hatchlings were released. When added to their total of 235'059 released hatchlings from 2004, the indigenous community of Colola has contributed to the work of the Grupo Tortuguero by protecting 470'264 sea turtles.

In addition to their sea turtle project, the people of Colola are committed to developing their community as per the sustainable development law of Mexico, improving their quality of life, rescuing indigenous culture, and building an ecotourism program that supports and promotes the protection and appreciation of marine turtles. In 2005, the community of Colola jointly received the Grupo Tortuguero's Don Manuel Orantes prize with the community of Punta Chueca, of the Seri of Sonora, in recognition of their efforts towards preserving Mexico's Black sea turtles. They also participated in the Seri Leatherback Release Ceremony held in February of 2005, a solemn tradition that hadn't been seen since 1981.

Contactos:

Niparajá: 011 52 (612) 122 1171 / 122 1298

Concacts

Niparajá: 011 52 (612) 122 1171 / 122 1298

Agua Blanca was also the site of the first Seri Leatherback Release Ceremony in over twenty years. In collaboration with Pro Peninsula and SEMARNAT, the Grupo Tortuguero helped Seri eldress Cleotilde Morales perform the sobering 4 day ceremony, passing on an important tradition to the next generation of sea turtle conservationists, the Seri youth. If you'd like to see pictures of the ceremony, please visit the Grupo Tortuguero's Photo Gallery, or Pro Peninsula's Photo Gallery.

Contacts:

Part of the Programa Golfina under ASUPMATOMA (Asociación Sudcaliforniana por la Protección del Medio Ambiente y de la Tortuga Marina [Southcalifornian Asociation for the Protection of the Environment and Marine Turtles]), sea turtle monitoring takes place along a 13.5 miles of nesting beaches. The nest protection project has encouraging results. In 2005 a total of 326 nests were protected, including 34'887 eggs and 25'075 hatchlings. Moreover, 37 turtles were captured and tagged along the beaches, and only 9 dead turtles were found on the coast.

Contacts: