After six months of medical treatment, three sea turtles were reintegrated back into their natural habitat as they were discharged at the facilities of the Center for Studies of the Sea (Cetmar), under the monitoring of the Secretariat of Sustainable Development (SDS) and in compliance with the environmental policy of the State of Yucatan.
Students and teachers of Cetmar, together with staff of the unit and the logistical support of the Secretary of the Navy of Mexico (Semar), began the work to treat these animals, which were found with different levels of damage and critical injuries in areas of the coast Yucatecan
To be reintegrated into the sea, the turtles went through a check-up that guarantees that they can feed for themselves in a natural environment and that they are medically fit to survive, which is why their recovery was closely followed up by veterinarians and bioligists.
The transportation from the site where their rehabilitation was carried out to the Navy pier, was more complex than it seemed, since due to the remarkable improvement in their state of health, the animals had more strength in their movements and were anxious to feel the ocean breeze.
The specimens returned to the sea were an adult female hawksbill turtle, 45 centimeters of shell, which was attended by a stranding situation in the area of Chuburná Puerto and presented injuries caused by tangled fishing ropes in the neck.
The other corresponded to one of the green turtle species, and it was a young specimen 32 centimeters of shell, also found in stranding situation, only that this one was rescued in Chelem, with injuries apparently caused by a motor boat.
Finally, the third “patient” was a hawksbill turtle, 17 centimeters of shell, which was found in Progreso. The diagnosis revealed a noticeable alteration in body heat with low temperature characteristics.
The three specimens are considered as endangered species.
As they were treating individuals of different sizes, different techniques were used by researchers to a successful re-entry of the turtles to sea, off the coast of Progreso.
The Navy boat that took the specimens traveled a distance of seven nautical miles to free them at high sea, since it was determined that this place had favorable characteristics for the proper reintegration and adaptation of the chelonians to their natural habitat, allowing their development and subsequent growth.
Although they arrived in different circumstances, they remained “hospitalized” for about six months under strict observation. “They arrived in a low weight condition and with dehydration,” one of scientists explained.
For their rehabilitation, they were checked daily and fed twice a day, in order to verify how much food they could consume and if their clinical condition required antibiotherapy or any other consecutive treatment.
The Yucatan Times Newsroom
