Our Conservation Program runs October 16 - May 31
Hatchling Releases begin around December 10 and last through April or May
Three
species of Sea Turtle (Leatherback, Olive Ridley and Black) nest on the beaches of Todos Santos. Olive Ridleys nest year round,
Leatherbacks from October - April, and Blacks from September -February.
Sea Turtle nests rely on the heat of the sand for incubation, and when sand temperatures drop below 26° celcius for
any part of the incubation period, malformations and death can occur in the developing turtles. This is where our Incubation
Greenhouse comes in! All nests that are laid after October 16 are relocated into the Incubation Greenhouse where average
sand temperatures are 29°celcius. Hatchlings incubated inside the greenhouse are healthy, vigorous, and lack the deformities
that are common in fall and winter nests. The incidence of flipper deformations, crooked beaks, blindness and dwarfism
is significantly decreased when fall and winter nests are incubated in the Greenhouse.
We begin relocating
nests to the Incubation Greenhouse on October 16, and our Hatchling releases usually begin around December 5.
