The Turtles of Mexico

There are many animal protection and conservationist organisations who care for orphaned baby animals but the San Valentin beach camp in Mexico takes the job to a new level.

The organisation comprises of a number of individuals converted from a life of crime by the ministry for environment and now dedicate their time to saving the nesting migratory sea turtle populations who come to nest and lay their eggs annually on the white sandy beaches. These animals are targeted by an illegal but ever-growing ring of poachers who use the flippers, eggs and skin of many turtles a year to sell as food and material.

The flippers and eggs of sea turtles are considered a delicacy in Mexico, while the skin is turned in to belts, handbags, shoes and wallets for sale both within the country and throughout the world in a notoriously cruel and unregulated leather and fur industry. Unwitting customers purchase illegally obtained fur and leather products with no labelling detailing their origin, and no watchdog to ensure practices such as the massacre on Mexico's beach are not financially supported.

Olive Ridley turtles are the main victims of the cull, but rare Leatherback turtles, of which there are only approximately 50 nesting females remaining in San Valentin, have also been found amongst the piles of bodies strewn over the sand the morning following the killings. Large dark patches stain the 800 meter stretch of pristine shoreline after poachers work rapidly through the night to kill and collect as much as possible without being caught. This involves stripping the creatures of their fins, eggs and skin while they are still alive, and ex-hunters who now work at the San Valentin camp tell stories of crying turtles moving their flippers in desperation as poachers open their torso with dull blades.

The protectors of the San Valentin turtles are all but powerless to stop the hunt, fearing violent retaliation from the vast network of poachers keen to protect their lucrative activities. Instead, camp workers focus on ensuring the survival of the next generation, collecting the eggs to rebury them in protected pens allowing them to incubate and hatch in safety, and finally assisting in their later release to the oceans. Each season workers collect large volumes of eggs, sometimes upwards of 40,000, and nurture them to eventual hatching. Despite their upward battle, the workers of San Valentin remain vigilant and hope to play a part in eradicating a practise which is plagued by corruption and shrouded in secrecy.

By Erin Lawson