SAVE THE TURTLES
Cayo Largo, Cuba, is a magical spot. However, while tourists enjoy the lavish offerings of resort living, locals struggle.
The beaches of Cayo Largo are home to several turtle species: the Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta), the Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), and the Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas).
The local Turtle Rescue Centre houses hundreds of these, in addition to five albino turtles. Albino turtles are extremely rare and need special care. It is estimated that there are only 100,000 in the entire world and that the 5 in Cayo Largo are the only ones in captivity. At least, that’s what I gathered from the Spanish conversation I had with the worker.
So, in a place where basic necessities are scarces for humans, it is no wonder the turtle sanctuary, which should be a safe haven for these incredible creatures, doesn’t have the money or resources it urgently requires.
Right now, only three dedicated and poorly paid workers are taking care of the sanctuary. These amazing people work around the clock, doing everything they can to keep both eggs and turtles safe and healthy. They work in blocks of 20 days each, taking on the full responsibility of caring for eggs, babies, and adult turtles weighing up to 20 kilos. Every day, from April to September, they go to the beach and collect eggs that they bring to the refuge and burry in the sand, away from predators. Once they eggs hatch, the babies are transfered to a tank where they will stay until they are big enough to be released in the ocean.
But the sanctuary doesn’t have the proper tools to track, weigh, or even safely handle the turtles they so desperately want to protect; this lack of resources puts the turtles at risk. Weigh-ins are done by putting the turtle in a Walmart bag while the worker holds a hardly functional handheld scale. They have no way to properly identify each turtle, making it difficult to adequately track their progress. No microchips, no tags, not even paint.
One of the biggest problems they face is with the water pumps. These pumps are supposed to fill the tanks quickly, but they’re old and slow, leaving the turtles in dirty water, or out of the water, for too long.
The sanctuary struggles to provide enough of everything for the turtles.
I’ve been so moved by the workers’ dedication and the turtles’ plight that I started a GiveSendGo campaign. While we can’t send money to the sanctuary, we can certainly send them the things they need. Imagine what we could do if we all pitched in a little! If you’re interested in helping, please contact me. Together, we can make a huge difference for these turtles and ensure they have a safe and healthy future.
We can’t let the hard work of these dedicated workers go to waste. The future of these endangered albino turtles depends on us. Let’s come together and support the Turtle Sanctuary in Cayo Largo. By doing so, we’re not just helping turtles – we’re making a stand for conservation and showing that we care about the future of our planet’s incredible wildlife.
