It’s turtle time again in Cabo.
And it’s a great time to be here and experience this wonderful natural
spectacle.
Cabo, and all the beaches of
Baja California Sur, are famous for being the hatching ground for 7 of the
world’s 8 species of sea turtles.
Every year, between July and
September, female adult turtles leave the sea in the dead of night. They crawl
up on to the beaches and use their powerful fins to dig a nest in the sand.
Where they deposit their eggs one by one and then cover them with sand before
slipping back into the sea.
Sounds easy. But actually this is where the first danger
begins. The nests are often poached. And the eggs sold. So the turtles need
protecting.
ASUPMATOMA is
Cabo’s local turtle conservation charity. Set up in 1995, each season
ASUPMATOMA runs two very successful turtle camps with nest protection (and
release) programs. This season’s nest protection camps have just opened and all
volunteers are welcome to spend a night on the beach guarding the nests.
After 45-60 days the hatching
begins. And so does the next danger. As the tiny baby turtles instinctively
scurry toward the sea they are extremely vulnerable to all sorts of predators.
And this is where ASUPMATOMA steps in for the second time - with their turtle release programs which begin in September.
Get involved. Watching these
turtles dig their nocturnal nests, seeing the babies hatch and ensuring their
safe release back to the sea is something you will never forget
You can send an email to asupmatoma@hotmail.com, check out the website,
or give them a call. (See numbers below)
Office: (624) 143 0269,
Cell: 624 1 220 777/ 624 1 136 330.