Three endangered turtles found dead in less than a week

MÉRIDA, Yucatán – Between this Sunday, Feb. 21st, and Wednesday, Feb. 24th, three hawksbill turtles were found dead along the coastline between Progreso’s Malecón and Chuburná Puerto.

This Wednesday, members of the Progreso Ecological Police responded to a report of a Carey turtle (Hawksbill turtle) without vital signs on the beach of Chuburna Puerto.

The turtle, of the Eretmochelys imbricata species also known as Tortuga de Carey, weighed approximately 30 kilos. Also, this Tuesday another Carey Turtle was found dead in the sandy area of the Malecón de Progreso, and last Sunday, another Carey turtle was found dead on the beach of Progreso.

In Mexico, there are records of six of the seven species of sea turtles that exist in the world, four of which nest in the Yucatan Peninsula.

These are: tortuga Carey (Eretmochelys imbricata); tortuga blanca (Chelonia mydas), tortuga Caguama (Caretta caretta) and tortuga Laud (Dermochelys coriacea).

Some of the threats affecting these species are, poorly planned urban and tourism development on the coast, the effects of climate change that lead to the loss of critical habitats, as well as incidental fishing, pollution, and poaching.

The sites where turtle nesting is protected and monitored are located on the beaches of Celestún and El Cuyo in Yucatán.

Likewise, Profepa installed, since 2017, more than 30 beams on the Progreso beach, as a measure to avoid affecting the nesting habitat of these animals. This measure seeks to prevent the passage of vehicles to the spawning area to preserve the natural habitat of this species.