Wild Mexico

Reuters reports that dozens of protected Olive Ridley marine turtles were found bludgeoned and carved open by poachers at the weekend.

The slaughter was discovered at La Escobilla, Mexico’s most important Olive Ridley nesting beach, located between the popular surfing resorts of Puerto Angel and Puerto Escondido.

Last year, I wrote about the plight of the Leatherback turtle and how their eggs are coveted in the mistaken belief that they possess aphrodisiac properties.

It appears this new slaughter took place at sea, the poachers’ reaction to increased vigilance on beaches by volunteers and army units.

The turtle hunting ban (in place since 1990) and a combination of community education and tough tactics have helped Olive Ridleys make a comeback, according to Cuauhtémoc Peñaflores Salazar, the director of the Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga in Mazunte.

Up to 10,000 Olive Ridleys can emerge from the Pacific at a time in arribadas (mass nestings) from June to December to each lay about 100 eggs.

The Third annual Festival de las Aves de Yucatán (Yucatán Bird Festival) starts this weekend. Until 21 November. Background.

Brian Jackman goes whale watching for The Daily Telegraph in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. The official whale watching season runs from mid-December to April. Whale watching resources.

I took this photo of a Leatherback turtle during the wee small hours of December 11th, 1994.

I recall the date precisely, so beautiful was the sight and so moving the experience of observing this gentle giant for ninety minutes (in the company of a small group of marine biologists from UNAM) on the beach at “Mexiquillo”, Michoacán – considered one of the world’s most important nesting beaches for leatherbacks.

Desperately sad then to hear this week that despite nearly two decades of conservation efforts, the leatherback continues to disappear from Mexican waters through disease, incidental capture in fishing nets, disturbance of nesting areas, and poaching.

I have read slightly conflicting reports in recent years, but the doomsday scenario of leatherbacks sliding toward extinction seemed to be confirmed at an important symposium held in Costa Rica four months ago – the largest ever dedicated to the biology and conservation of sea turtles.

The massacre of hundreds of olive ridley turtles at San Valentin in Guerrero state by armed poachers also made grim reading last January.

On World Wetlands Day, the Government of Mexico designated the beach strand at Mexiquillo as a “Wetland of International Importance”. It had already been re-decreed as a formal protected area in July 2002, and with seasonal fisheries restrictions, these moves present excellent opportunities for site-based coordinated governmental and NGO action towards sea turtle protection.

However, this may be too little, too late. This call to action suggests leatherback arribadas (‘arrivals’) have dwindled to single figures along the 18 km- (11 mile) stretch of sand at Mexiquillo, located some 80 km (50 miles) from Lázaro Cárdenas.

Those caught trafficking turtles can face severe penalties, but the threat of up to nine years in prison has not been enough to deter poachers.

As recent as December last year, a Mexican naval cadet was fatally shot on Mexiquillo by a gang of poachers. The Mexican Navy patrol designated beaches in the area such as Las Peñas, Calabazas, Chuquiapan, Playa Azul, as well as Mexiquillo, in support of SEMARNAT (the Environment and Natural Resources Secretariat). The sad reality is there is little these patrols can do to stop the thieves.

The age-old belief in the aphrodisiac power of turtle eggs sustains a thriving black market for the forbidden ovum.

I recall one baking-hot afternoon when a woman strolled up to my house in Lázaro Cárdenas seemingly hawking fresh fish. Seeing that I was intrigued, she peeled back the thin cloth covering her pale turquoise bucket. To my surprise and horror, this revealed a dozen or so perfectly round white eggs the size of ping-pong balls protruding from fine sand.

Depressing as this story is, there are now examples where swords have been turned into plowshares, with some egg-takers becoming tourist guides, proudly showing off “their” turtles to people like me (for further reading, see Planeta’s Turtle Resource Guide).

At the Costa Rica symposium, the International Sea Turtle Society (ISTS) President Roderic Mast commented “We have a small window of opportunity to save the leatherback and other marine turtles but we have to combine our knowledge at every level in order to achieve this.”

He then sounded a stark warning: “These species are still largely a mystery to us – they haven’t been fully studied – but we do know they are excellent indicators of the overall health of the ocean. We also know we’re going to lose them if we don’t act immediately.”

On that December morning nearly a decade ago I was woken at dawn by the pounding of the waves on the shore. I rose excitedly and helped release a clutch of tiny leatherbacks that had hatched overnight from behind the relative safety of the sanctuary wire following their 45-60 day gestation.

Only one or two hatchlings in a 1,000 will survive to adulthood. That’s short enough odds as it is and we are shortening them still further. We must do more to prevent these magnificent reptiles disappearing forever.

The clock is ticking…

A welcome email today from Barbara MacKinnon, coordinator of the 3rd annual Festival de las Aves de Yucatán (Yucatán Bird Festival). She reminds me that this year the BirdFest will take place between 13-21 November.

The festival is promoted locally as the ‘Toh’ – Maya for Turquoise-browed Motmot – one of more than 400 colourful bird species in the region.

I was captivated by half a dozen of these lordly blue, green and rust-coloured birds during a visit to the diminutive and seldom-visited Maya site at Xlapak, 113 km (70 miles) south of Mérida in the gently rolling Puuc hills. A reminder that birdwatching in Yucatán opens the way to visiting restored Maya ruins, as well as cenotes (natural sinkholes) and majestic and mysterious caves.

The appropriately named pajaro reloj (‘Pendulum Bird’ in Spanish) swings its long racket-tipped tail feathers in a tic-toc motion while the rest of its body remains statuesque. The Maya consider the Toh a symbol of nobility.

The Festival has quickly established itself as a fixture in the ornithologists calendar, but has something for everyone; a week full of fascinating field trips, exhibits and workshops – whether you are a beginner or advanced birdwatcher, bird photographer or student of Maya culture.

Local guides will teach you Maya bird names in exchange for your friendship during the two-day xoc ch’ich’ (‘bird count’ in Maya) and your participation directly benefits bird conservation efforts in the region.

For reservations, contact: toh@ecoyuc.com or visit www.ecoyuc.com/toh.html.

Photo credit: Turquoise-browed Motmot, courtesy © David Massie

Further to my report on 6 February, I’ve spent some time this evening reviewing Jim Lovett’s blog chronicling Monarch Watch’s 2004 trip to Mexico earlier this month. Cheers, Jim.

Over 12 per cent of bird species are considered globally threatened, according to the latest State of the World’s Birds report published by BirdLife International.

The milestone report brings together for the first time the sum of existing research about the status and distribution of birds, current conservation actions and priorities, and what birds tell us about the health of the environment and wider biodiversity.

Dr Leon Bennun, Senior Editor of State of the World’s Birds, said: “Birds are excellent environmental indicators, and what they are telling us is that there is a fundamental malaise in the way we treat our environment.”

However, SOWB also includes many case studies of successful approaches to conservation. Good news for the ever increasing numbers of people who care enough to belong to bird societies. In the UK, more than 1 million people have joined the RSPB.

BirdLife is seeking information on Globally Threatened Birds through web-based discussion forums focused on particular regions or groups of species. Take a look at the Threatened Birds in the Americas forum.

With biodiversity under threat across the world, it’s great to see some fantastic websites springing up to celebrate it. Check out the stunning Illustrated Database of Mexican Biodiversity – a pilot project dedicated to Mexican fauna, flora and ecosystems.

For enthusiasts, the Third Yucatán Bird Festival – Toh - will take place from 13 – 21 November 2004. The programme is being finalised and should appear on their website by the end of March. Birding tours are offered by Ecoturismo Yucatán, based in Merida.

Almost one year ago I visited the Sierra Chincua butterfly sanctuary – a short distance from the small town of Angangueo, 110 km east of Morelia. Like most visitors, I took a horseback tour with a guide via the rough mountain trails.

From November to March, millions of Monarch butterflies, with their four-inch wingspans, cloak the trunks of the towering Oyamel fir trees and hang on boughs in clusters of tens of thousands in a sea of orange and black.

According to Monarch Watch, two colonies are present on Sierra Chincua this season. At El Rosario, which is always busier with tourists, there is one colony located to the NE of the sanctuary, so you will have to traverse the entire trail to see the butterflies.

In a repetition of the scenes in 1997 and 2002, a report this week suggests recent severe winter weather may have killed as many as 10% of the Monarchs.

Nevertheless, February is perhaps the best time to visit the area and our friend and pioneer of responsible tourism, Marlene Ehrenberg Enríquez, is organising a one-day tour of the sanctuary on 21 February. The tour will leave Mexico City at 07:00, returning about 17:00. The cost is 300 pesos – about $27 USD). Email Marlene, or visit her website for more information.