No internet since after breakfast so I'll fill you in. We walked back to the PGI (Playa Grande Inn) from Kikes where the internet was, which was about a 15-20 minute walk. Jo sat in the pool and I got right in. It was fresh water and a perfect cooler temp. While in the pool Soleiha pulled up round 12:30 p.m She had come to join us for the nightly turtle tour. Unfortunately we couldn't contact her at Del Sol to tell her the tours were filled for the whole w/end. We figured she'd love the place anyway. Then the 3 of us headed to the beach which was about a 3-4 minute walk. We headed back towards the big rock and found some "treasures" in the tidal pools. We also saw 2 trails through the sand where a couple of females had come in during the night to deposit their eggs. I think they patrol the beach in the early mornings to count the trails and thus know how many deposited during the night. After about 1 1/2 -2 hours we began heading back. We found bits of white coral on the beach and Jo and Soleiha found two brittle stars in the tidal pools. I found a small octopus and just as I went to get a picture a wave came in and that's the last we saw of it.
When we got up near the turtle hatchery we came across one of the biologists and some volunteers digging a hole in the beach. They were burying egg fragments from the hatchery and filling it with the sand the eggs had hatched out in. This sand was considered contaminated. I asked (Sara was her name from Indiana) when they would have more babies and she said right away!!!! Wow we were pumped!!! The three of us followed her and the helpers back to the hatchery. We weren't allowed in but could stand at the fence as observers . One of the things we noticed was a pup tent in the compound. From 4 pm on there is someone standing guard all night to keep predators such as coons out Sara showed us which nest they would excavate and said this one was special as she'd personally buried these eggs last Nov. The gestation period taking approx. 63-65 days
The eggs they recover to take to the hatchery are one's that have been deposited below the high water line. This particular nest contained 57 eggs. Most 45 of them had emerged from 3' down 2 days prior. Sara began digging out the next while the helpers screened the sand and got water to pour into the nest to try and stop it from caving in as she dug. She'd gone down about a foot when she came across two babies making their way to the surface. That was an unbelievable experience for us. She put them into a bucket with sand in it and covered it with a towel. The hole caved in several times which then had to be dug out again. All the shell casings were set aside to be counted. Several were undersized and not hatched. One of the large ones that was still intact came up and it began chipping it's way out of the shell as we watched. Sara said tis one was a "special needs" baby as it probably wouldn't have made it had it not been for the extra help. Altogether she got 8 turtles before it caved in again ans Sara gave up. By this time the hole was 3' deep and she felt that nothing more was to be gained by continuing. The total that survived the incubation and made it out alive was 53 out of 57 eggs. She was so proud as these where her little godchildren. She told us that the average survival is 50% and to get over 90% was unheard of. Congratulations Sara!!!!!
These nests all contain a thermometer so they can determine how many females there are as the sex is determined by the temp. They are only concerned with females as they are the future for the leatherbacks 20 years down the road.
Unfortunately we couldn't witness them returning to the water as it's done at dusk for the safety of the young and cameras are prohibited due to some people using flash cameras. ( I could have done it w/o a flash w/ this Sony). A special permit is req'd to have a camera on the beach.
Soleiha was really beat from our walk and extremely excited over what we had witnessed so missing the tour late that night wasn't a hardship. We returned, changed and went to Rip Jacks down the street for supper. We had planned to watch the sunset as there had been a few clouds during the day but on the way to the beach we could see the fiery fall about half way down. I ran ahead but got there too late. (Remember I've been on my butt since bringing the boat home so I'm still learning to walk again let alone running!) We met a couple from Lake Country near Kelowna who highly recommended Rip Jacks. It really was a fantastic meal. From upstairs on the deck we were overlooking the ocean (we should have gone there first and seen the sunset at the same time). The ladies had chicken and it was the most tender chicken I've ever eaten. It seemed to melt in your mouth. I had white marlin baked in banana leaves over rice with shrimp. We also tried a drink made from the sugar cane and mixed with Fresca. Not a bad drink but I think I'd like to try it straight to see what it really tastes like.
After supper we went back to our place, had a beer and called it a night. We were in bed (make that two beds) by 9:30 Our room had a double and a single so Soleiha used the single as there was no extra charge for the 3 person.v
LINK OF THE DAY
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=26222&l=83c22&id=680056043
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