Mexico is racing to evacuate sea turtle eggs from the beaches south of Cancun ahead of the approach of Hurricane Beryl.
Hurricane Beryl became the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record, before weakening to a Category 4 on Tuesday. On Wednesday it weakened again, but it is still expected to be a significant storm as it makes landfall on the East coast of the US and Mexico.
“Reports from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds are near 120 mph (195 km/h) with higher gusts,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) explains. “Beryl is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Weakening is forecast during the next day or two, though Beryl is forecast to remain a hurricane until it makes landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula.”
While humans prepare, turtles do not have such advanced weather warning systems in place. Last October, Hurricane Otis caused chaos for leatherback turtles during nesting season, burying many nests in the sand.
“As part of their reproductive process, female leatherback turtles journey back to the same beach where they were born. They can lay between five and seven nests per season, each of which holds approximately 100 eggs,” the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) explains. “However, for every 1,000 hatchlings born, it’s estimated that only one leatherback turtle will make it to adulthood.”
Following the hurricane, there was a concerted rescue attempt to remove the sand, and give turtles veterinary care when needed. Now, as Hurricane Beryl approaches, Mexico is attempting to move carey turtle eggs away from danger, digging recently laid eggs out of the sand, moving them in coolers of sand, and transferring them to safer locations, AP News reports. In normal circumstances, these eggs should be left well alone.
“Look, it’s not the best thing to do,” Biologist and sea turtle expert Graciela Tiburcio told AP News, “but we are facing an emergency in which if they don’t take them out, they all could be lost.”
As well as moving the turtles, conservationists are using sandbags to protect the turtles from strong waves expected to hit the coast as the hurricane hits late on Thursday or early on Friday.
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