Global Crossroad Volunteers Help Panama’s Sea Turtles
Panama is home to hundreds of tropical species of birds and animals. Perhaps most popular are the sea turtles, who find their way to Panama’s coast line every year to lay their eggs. Over the years, Panama has seen a marked decrease in the number of sea turtles returning to its shores to lay their eggs. The life is a sea turtle is a challenging one. Sea turtles are fighting a losing battle against environmental factors, making the work of volunteers instrumental in the success of conservation projects.
Panama’s coast line sees an influx of green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, and olive ridley sea turtles between the months of April and October. Sea turtles return to the same beach where they were born to lay their own eggs. Recent years have seen a decline in the number of turtles retuning to lay eggs for a variety of reasons. Baby sea turtles face a number of challenges, namely predators that catch them before they even make it to the ocean. Out of 200 hatchlings, typically only 5 will survive. Those that do survive face predators at sea, getting caught in fishing nets, being hunted by humans for food, and choking on plastic and trash in the ocean. In Panama, sea turtle eggs (and sometimes the sea turtles themselves) are considered a delicacy. Although it is illegal, poaching is popular among those that live in Panamanian coastal towns and the eggs laid on the beach have little hope of hatching before poachers come to collect them.
With the help of volunteers and environmental agencies, Panamanians are becoming more educated on the importance of protecting the sea turtles. Small groups of community-based volunteers have popped up along the coasts who dedicate their time to protecting the nesting areas and eggs of these creatures. These groups organize nightly patrols, walking the stretches of beach that are most popular for sea turtle nesting. The groups gather the sea turtle eggs as they are being laid; carefully putting the eggs into a plastic bag and carrying them back to an artificial nesting area. The eggs are buried in the artificial nesting area where they are monitored and protected by members of the conservation group. The adult sea turtles are measured and inspected before they begin their journey back into open waters.
Global Crossroad volunteers coming to Panama can help these groups with their conservation endeavors. Joining members on their night patrols, setting up artificial nesting areas and cleaning the beach are a few ways volunteers can make a huge impact on the mission of these conservation groups. Volunteers will see first-hand the challenges, frustrations, and successes that are inherent in the protection of sea turtles. In addition to working with the group, volunteers can also work with the community as a whole, educating the people and reinforcing the importance of protecting the nesting areas. The work of Global Crossroad volunteers is integral in the survival of Panama’s sea turtles.
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