PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Q.Roo – A dozen sea turtles have been returned to local waters thanks to a hospital at Xcaret Park.
As part of their commitment to help reverse the declining population of sea turtles, Xcaret staff tend to sea turtles that have been injured.
Xcaret Turtle Hospital has seen sea turtles brought in to their facility with injuries to fins from fishing lines, digestive tract damage from ingesting hooks and shell fractures from boat propellers. Sea turtles are also brought in with head and limb damage suffered from animal attacks, including dogs, as well as anorexia and dehydration.
Xcaret staff aid in rehabilitation of injured sea turtles. (PHOTO: riviera-maya-news.com)
During the past year, Xcaret has returned 12 sea turtles to the sea, each of which takes between eight and 12 month to rehabilitate, depending on the severity of their injuries. A few of the sea turtles were brought into the facility as babies, found in poor condition. They were treated and re-released.
Xcaret Park, along with the Civil Association of Flora, Fauna and Culture of Mexico, have more than 30 years of experience in conservation programs working with sea turtles from around Mexico. They have implemented turtle camps in various parts of the Riviera Maya that have, over the years, aided the 10 million hatchlings in reaching the sea.
Source: riviera-maya-news.com
