Turtles: protected in Veracruz

Sea turtles are a species that have managed to survive all the changes of the planet, and Veracruz is one of the most recognized sites for having turtle camps where they are cared for, protected and released, a process that the whole family can experience, reported the Secretary of Tourism, Culture and Cinematography (Secturc).

In the month of April five species of sea turtles start to arrive to nest along Veracruz coasts. They are now considered endangered, resulting in a federal environmental crime, punishable with up to 12 years jail, for catching or selling sea turtles.

Although significant progress has been made in sea turtle protection, various state, federal and municipal agencies make repeated calls to not harm or eat them, along with their products, and thus preserve the highest number of individuals possible, since an average of only one in a hundred that reach the sea survives.

The types of turtles that lay eggs in Veracruz are the Kemp’s ridley, Lepidochelys kempii, the Green, Chelonia mydas, the Hawksbill, Eretmochelys imbricata, the Loggerhead, Caretta caretta and the Leatherback, Dermochelys coriacea.

The first to arrive on these shores is the Kemp’s ridley, which appears from April to early July in the northern part of the state and has increased its nestings. The Green appears at the end of May and until September in the northern and central area of the state. Loggerhead and Hawksbill turtles make their appearance in May and leave by July. The Leatherback, the largest species worldwide, which is characterized by not having a shell but in its place has skin, appears from May to July.

In the department, with support from state and municipal government and various state and federal agencies, 20 turtle camps have been implemented with the aim of ensuring that turtle species are not endangered as they nest along waters in Veracruz.