Yesterday morning, we got up at 4:30am and it was still pitch dark. We got in the car and drove toward Ostional. We had to drive through two little rivers that were on the road, since it's the rainy season and water keeps piling up over on the road. We parked near the soccer field where the ranger had told us was the best spot to go.We walked up to the beach which has darker sand then the swimming and surfing beaches (because it has volcanic ash in it.) At first we didn't see much of anything except mist and a few dogs and lots of lightning. When our eyes adjusted we saw at least a million (well maybe that's an exageration!!) baby turtles scuttling across the beach toward the water. They were about as big as my palm. For the first we saw, he or she was on a bumpy part of the sand (from the trail that his or her mama had made) and he got flipped over on his back. One of the other volunteers came over and said that we were allowed to flip them back over and so I did and he kept going on a smoother part of the sand. We all watched that very turtle until it got to the sea. It was SPECTACULAR! He or she had to work hard with those tiny little flippers and we worked hard to make sure the vultures stayed away (even though it seems impossible to keep them all away.)
We kept walking and further along the beach we saw at least a hundred (and that's not an exaggeration!) big mama turtles. Lots of them were digging holes, some were squeezing the eggs out of their bodies and some were throwing sand everywhere trying to cover up their nests. And some were scuttling back slowly, trying to get back to the water. They never see their babies. (and this is a sad story - One mama I was watching, crawling back to the sea and there were two baby sea turtles a little way in front of her. She must not have noticed them or something and she just slapped them with her flippers. I looked to see if they were okay and one was but one was squooshed.) The mamas are about as big as a microwave. We had to shoo away sooooo many vultures from the mamas and especially their nests. We shoo them by banging on the sticks that are in the sand, clapping them together really hard. It doesn't work all the time because they keep coming back once they're satisfied you've moved. We could see crushed egg shells scattered around the beach. It's amazing that some of the baby sea turtles can survive and make it to the sea!
We are going to spend a couple of hours each morning at this beach (we did again today!) I could spend all day every day there. We're going to learn a lot of things about sea turtles and I'm going to make some good art projects about them like a sea turtle quilt and an Actual Size papier mache olive ridley!!!!
Wow! Just caught up on the entire blog during my Saturday morning coffee. What an excellent adventure you are all on. Keep the posts coming as I'm looking forward to catching up again next Saturday morning. However, if Mom new why I was looking forward to your posts, she may ask you to stop.... I'm getting itchy feet! Disfruta de la aventura! xo
ReplyDeleteThanks, Billie! Come and visit with us (you know, just to be absolutely sure that your itchy feet are telling you the right thing!)
DeleteThose vultures sound like a problem - I realize they are part of the natural order of things but since us humans have thrown the balance off so much for the turtles I don't see any harm in keeping the vultures from snacking! I wonder if carving a Raptor type decoy and propping it up on a post would work for a while - I'm sure it's been thought of though . . .
ReplyDeleteVultures don't have very many predators (except us humans and some large cats.) And, there are SO MANY of them on the beach. They arrive in the thousands at dawn. Right now, the local community is doing a pretty good job of shooing them away and we get to help. Everyone takes a certain section of the beach and bangs and whacks or throws sticks when the vultures come near.
DeleteThousands!! Wow that's hard to even imagine! and from July to December!! Still, a worthy challenge – I'm sure you'll have devised some way to handle that onslaught before long LOL.
DeleteGood work How long does this cycle of baby turtles last? Grandma xxooo
ReplyDeleteThe nesting for Olive Ridleys happens year round but the big, big arribadas (when thousands arrive and nest together) happen from August to December. It takes about 60 days for the eggs to hatch. There are about 100 eggs in each nest. The mamas usually nest two times per year. I hope you will get to see them!
DeleteHi Sam and Meave, do the vultures attack you? How long does it take for a baby turtle to reach the water? Are the turtles always there? I liked seeing the mama turtle. Miss you guys, Maddy (+Jiri)
ReplyDeleteHi Maddy and Jiri!
DeleteThe turtles have been there every morning we've gone. The mama Olive Ridleys nest at this beach all year, but mostly between July and December. The vultures don't attack us, but we attack them! Well, not really but we whack our sticks together to shoo them and chase them and yell at them (but try not to step on the baby turtles while we do it!!) There are SO many. If its nest is far back at the tide line (next to the dry part of the sand) it takes maybe 20 minutes or so. Sometimes it seems to go pretty fast but sometimes longer because your nervous for them. Even when they reach the shore though sometimes the waves wash and tumble them back on to the beach because they're so small. Your not allowed to touch them or take them to the water because they have to move to develop their lungs. But, if they get flipped over on their backs or fall in a big hole, we can put them back up and on their way. Miss you too!!!! Love Maeve (and Sam)
Maeve, do these vultures need this "all-you-can-eat-buffet" as a yearly necessity for their survival or is it just a treat for them?
DeleteHmmm, I will do some research to see if they need it or not because I'm not totally sure right now. I'll get back to you.
DeleteOkay, one surprise is that some scientists think vultures are more related to storks than raptors. Black vultures hunt only with their eyes, not like the turkey vultures who have a good sense of smell (black vultures follow turkey vultures around sometimes and then steal their food!) They both mostly eat dead things (carrion) and this is the good thing about vultures because they come and clean things up. Sometimes though they eat weak or small things (like baby sea turtle hatchlings) and this isn't so good. I don't know for sure still but I think that they don't need to eat the turtles but it's a nice easy place for them to eat a lot. Except we try to make it less easy for them.
Delete