Sea Turtles vs. Urban Development in the Local Ecology Guide

Throughout the years, we have been witness to the gradual but constant modification of our beaches; an evolution that will continue without end. Sea turtles have themselves managed “to adapt” to some of these changes, while others present an insurmountable challenge.

Being creatures that have inhabited our planet for more than 200 million years, sea turtles have not had to modify their anatomy since the cretaceous period, and are considered by science as a success of evolution.

It was not but until this past century that the presence of the man began to affect them in many aspects of their lives, pushing them to their present and precarious situation, in that most of the species are in danger of extinction. The rapid and over-development of major tourist centers, as is the case with Puerto Vallarta, have caused irreparable damage to the beaches, that translates into complex and drastic changes like the placement of breakwaters and beach modification, causing changes in the wave dynamics and the currents that have caused partial or total erosion of those same beaches.

These beaches lose their natural terrain features, forcing the turtles to search for other places to nest. The invasion of the beach is another important factor, because construction on the coastline is carried out close together and the turtles “run into” with walls and other physical barriers that prevent them from nesting.

As well, across the globe, a little-known contamination exists, to which, as human beings, we have become accustomed. So much that we find it impossible to consider as such. It is “light contamination” better known as artificial lighting. Little is known of the effects and consequences of this lighting on nature, but it is easy enough to observe the thousands of insects that die every night imprisoned by the lights and its reflections, due to their instinct to follow the light. In adult sea turtles, the problem is not serious, and in Vallarta the turtles are “accustomed” to nesting in illuminated areas, when in the nature, they would normally look for the shelter of the dark.

On this subject, in many places around the world, there are very strict laws that prohibit beach lighting during sea turtle nesting and hatching season. They also regulate the type and intensity of lighting used.

In spite of this, there are many great benefits that few have taken advantage of in tourist or residential areas. The simple presence of sea turtles along our coasts is a valuable tourist attraction, which if taken advantage of, could generate significant income, while offering visitors a unique and educational experience that would take them far away from their daily life.

In recent years, Puerto Vallarta has begun to lose that “natural enchantment” that characterized it, where the blending of nature and development went hand in hand. It is not too late to protect and to conserve that gift of nature, and Vallarta could be an exemplary tourist destination, whose values revolve around the respect for nature.

It is responsibility of individuals to achieve it. As well as the Municipal Government could be forced to be more sensitive and to act responsibly. Like all citizens, we must be more respectful of the nature that still surrounds us; with the understanding that only “by nature” do we have the right to live here.

If you would like more information on sea turtles or our work, or if you wish to work with us as a volunteer or to make a donation, contact us at tel. 044 (322) 294-1701, or send an e-mail to seaturtlesvta@aol.com or visit our homepage: www.vallartanature.org

• The author is biologist responsible since 2000 for the operation of the Program of Protection of Sea Turtles in Puerto Vallarta, through the non-profit organization “Unidos para la Conservación AC”. He is currently the Secretary of the Council for Protection and Preservation of the Sea Turtle in Puerto Vallarta and is a charter member of the Ecological Society of the West.