SOME FACTS ABOUT THE DRIFTWOOD SURFER TURTLE CONSERVATION PROJECT:
- It is LEGAL to poach on turtle eggs in Guatemala
- Close to 100% of the turtle eggs are taken by poachers in Guatemala
- Turtle eggs are seen as an aphrodisiac and sold often raw in orange juice
- The Driftwood Surfer Turtle Conservation project buys back all eggs for a fair price
- The hatching rate in the hatchery is 95% which is more than 15% higher than in nature
- A turtle lays around 100 eggs each tie and comes back 2 or 3 times each season
- It takes a turtle about 1 hour to lay her eggs, that's why it's easy for poachers to find them
- In season, we take everyone at 6 am to the turtle hatchery to release baby turtles where people can make a donation
PROGRESS:
- 2 years ago we had a record year and bought back more than 35k eggs from the poachers
- We had to expand the turtle hatchery as there was not enough space
- Last year due to Covid-19 there were no funds to buy back the eggs
- 12 eggs cost 2 dollars
- We work with CONAP who is in charge of all-natural reserves in Guatemala
THE IDEA:
We're trying to create a win win win situation by buying the eggs back from the poachers for as long it is legal to poach.
Win 1: More turtles survive
Win 2: The poachers can feed their families
Win 3: Bucketlist experience by releasing these incredible creatures
We rely 100% on donations to make this project work and save the turtles. So come visit us in El Paredon, Guatemala, and help us release these incredibly cute creatures or help us out by donating on this website.
Save 12 eggs with only 2 dollars :)
You're turtley awesome!!
MORE FACTS:
- Only 1 out of 1000 will become a full-grown turtle and comes back to the same beach to lay their eggs
- The temperature of the nest decides the sex of the turtles (below 28 degrees celsius they all become male, above 31 degrees they all become female) Due to a warming climate we are putting more shade over the hatchery as the female turtle population is getting too large.
- Nr 1 killer of turtles is the fishing industry and pollution
- It takes about 45 days before a turtle egg hatches
- Baby turtles must walk into the ocean by themselves as they need to feel the magnetic field to find their way back to the same beach to lay eggs.
- After 7 years a turtle finds its way back to the same beach for the first time. They always come back in a range of just a couple of miles.
Pleas let us know if you have any question :)
