Cuban experts report turtle nesting in protected area of the country

CIEGO DE AVILA, Cuba, Aug 11 (ACN) With the recent report of six turtle nests on Playa Prohibida, located in an area of the Cayo Coco Central-West Ecological Reserve, there are now seven nesting records of the iconic marine reptile in the Jardines del Rey archipelago during the current reproductive season, which mainly occurs between May and August.

Biologist Daylon Fundora Caballero, head of the Department of Natural Resources, Prioritized Ecosystems, and Climate Change, in the Environment Subdelegation of the Territorial Delegation of the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment (DT Citma) in Ciego de Avila, reported via Facebook the birth of more than 100 hatchlings, corresponding to one of the nests.

On August 8, after 53 days of protection and monitoring, 100 %of the eggs laid in the first nest hatched, equivalent to the birth of 123 green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas, by its scientific name), he described.

In a conversation with the Cuban News Agency (ACN), the secretary of the Coordinating Board of Protected Areas in the territory emphasized this as a result of the protection offered by the Playa Prohibida Labor Collective, subordinate to the Provincial Flora and Fauna Company; and the park rangers of the protected area, with the collaboration of officers from the Ministry of the Interior's Border Guard Troops.

They are maintaining the preservation of the remaining five nests, which includes actions such as reinforcing access restrictions and properly demarcating and cleaning the spaces where the nests are located.

The green turtle is listed as an endangered species due to frequent threats such as the deterioration of nesting beaches, pollution, and bycatch. Its life cycle, dependent on safe beaches and healthy seas, makes it a sensitive indicator of ocean health.

Regarding the site, the research assistant at the Center for Environmental Engineering and Biodiversity (CIBA) in Ciego de Avila, stated that the Cayo Coco Central-West Ecological Reserve is the second largest of its kind in Cuba, with the unique feature of encompassing a marine area.

Biologist Evelyn Marichal Arbona, a research associate at CIEC, previously told ACN that female turtles usually return to the same beach where they were born to lay their eggs, demonstrating loyalty to their place of origin.

She explained that the northern keys of Ciego de Avila are considered to have a low nesting frequency for turtles; In Cuba it is more common and repeated on the southern coast, including the Jardines de la Reina Archipelago, in the lower part of the provinces of Camagüey and Ciego de Avila.