After putting in some work to fix up the turtle shack, we wanted to make sure that we were there to help release some of the baby turtles. Help is perhaps a strong word, as we mostly just asked question and watched the turtles skitter down the beach. Remy raced Louie and Frodo (who we have since learned is actually named Tigre) for most of the way.
The turtles hatch throughout the day, but they don't get released until sundown to help make sure that the babies have the best chance of making it into the water and heading in the correct direction. They can get easily distracted by bright lights, and even the sun can mess with their sense of direction.
We attended a similar release last time we were in Todos Santos, but there were only a few hatchlings that time. This time there were almost 50 baby turtles across all of the different nests that were active. All of the turtles that hatched today were Olive Ridley turtles, although there are several different species in the hatchery.
Remy learning about turtles, and a shot of the hatching area.
When it is time to release the turtles the volunteers draw a big line in the sand. This is the "don't step across this line" line, and all of the turtles get placed on the ocean side of it. They then begin an arduous appearing journey down the sand toward the water. The line keeps folks away from the turtles, but it also helps to ensure that their journey is as easy as possible.
As the turtles make their way toward the water, the waves come up onto the shore. At this point the waves are so shallow that instead of pulling the turtles toward deeper water, they actually pushes them back toward the line where they started. A footprint in the sand at this stage could act as a tiny trap that the turtle might not be able to climb out of.
Remy doing an excellent job respecting the line.
It was getting late so we didn't get to see all of the turtles make it to the water, but we heard plenty of cheering to reassure us that the start to their long journey was successful.
Tigre and Louie took advantage of the cooler temperatures by doing some serious playing in the sand.
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