Hotel San Felipe hosts a very successful turtle hatchery. Each year, beginning in June, several hundred turtle eggs are buried in a protected enclosure.
Guarding the eggs in this manner is necessary because many people do not understand the degree to which these magnificent creatures are endangered. Female turtles are often killed when they come out of the water in order to lay their eggs - harvested for their meat, shells, and oil. Even more devastating is the theft of eggs (which are traditionaly considered a delicacy), either in the process of slaughtering the mother or by digging up the nest and removing the eggs.
When the turtles hatch, they must dig their way out of the nest. Sometimes this is more easily facilitated with a bit of human aid.
Once the turtles are free of the nest, they are allowed to rest for a few minutes. A count of the number of live turtles, empty egg shells, damaged eggs, and viable eggs is taken.
Viable eggs are reburied, and damaged eggs and empty shells are removed from the nest to prevent infection of the remaining live eggs. The baby turtles are then transfered to a holding area where they soon begin to crawl vigorously, swim, and thrive.
Our first turtle release of 2004 will take place tonight, August 27. 108 baby turtles will crawl to the ocean, and swim into the ocean to meet their fate. In a few years, some of our babies will return as mothers to lay their eggs here, on the beach in front of the Hotel San Felipe.
