Now that the ice has been broken, hatching season has been moving forwards non-stop. Four nests hatched last night, so it's going to be a busy afternoon!
Join us to see the hatchlings emerge from the sand, and book for next week if you want to see the releases. You can either book by calling 00905338798533, or by coming to the Goatshed. As we've said, we can only know wether we'll have any releases based on the night before, so ring us on on the day that you're coming to check.
Once again, we leave from the goatshed (it's only a short walk to the beach) at 5PM. Thanks and hope to see you tonight!
Turtle Project volunteers xx.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Public excavation tonight - meet at Goatshed 6PM!
After a slow start, the hatching season seems to have finally kicked off. One green and one loggerhead nest hatched last night, meaning we can do our first public excavation of the season tonight.
Meet us at the Goatshed at 6PM to walk down to the nest site on Alagadi Beach. There we will dig up the remains of one of the nests that hatched last night and show you what we find inside. This will mainly be hatched egg fragments but usually also includes live hatchlings that didn't make it to the surface yet. Excavating the nests allows us to increase the number of hatchlings that make it to the sea in an attempt to boost numbers to combat other pressures such as fishing net entanglement of the adults. It also reduces predation, as a hatching nest can easily be located by stray dogs and foxes by the smell emerging from the sand with the first hatchings to come out.
Any live hatchlings that we do find in the nest will be kept until after dark for release when predation risk in the sea is lower. Please make a booking at the goatshed if you would like to see hatchlings released later in the week. We are currently booked up a few days in advance for nightwatch as we are still in the overlap period between laying and hatching. You are welcome to make a booking to see a hatchling release but we will not know until the day whether or not we will have any hatchlings to release, so please call back on the day of your booking to find out.
Thanks and see you later!
Meet us at the Goatshed at 6PM to walk down to the nest site on Alagadi Beach. There we will dig up the remains of one of the nests that hatched last night and show you what we find inside. This will mainly be hatched egg fragments but usually also includes live hatchlings that didn't make it to the surface yet. Excavating the nests allows us to increase the number of hatchlings that make it to the sea in an attempt to boost numbers to combat other pressures such as fishing net entanglement of the adults. It also reduces predation, as a hatching nest can easily be located by stray dogs and foxes by the smell emerging from the sand with the first hatchings to come out.
Any live hatchlings that we do find in the nest will be kept until after dark for release when predation risk in the sea is lower. Please make a booking at the goatshed if you would like to see hatchlings released later in the week. We are currently booked up a few days in advance for nightwatch as we are still in the overlap period between laying and hatching. You are welcome to make a booking to see a hatchling release but we will not know until the day whether or not we will have any hatchlings to release, so please call back on the day of your booking to find out.
Thanks and see you later!
Monday, July 18, 2011
52816 has today been inside the port of Latakia, Syria
This loggerhead turtle tracked from the west coast of Cyprus is now spending time in and around Latakia harbour, Syria.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Repeat radio interview on turtles and fisheries in Cyprus
Today at 19:00 you can listen live here: http://www.brtk.net/index.php?Itemid=2
Update on tracked turtles 2011
52816 has now hit the Syrian coast and is heading South.
http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/index.shtml?tag_id=52816&full=1&lang=
52813 has laid her final clutch at Tatlisu and has bolted in the same direction as 52816.
http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/index.shtml?tag_id=52813&full=1&lang=
http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/index.shtml?tag_id=52816&full=1&lang=
52813 has laid her final clutch at Tatlisu and has bolted in the same direction as 52816.
http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/index.shtml?tag_id=52813&full=1&lang=
Hello Bloggers!
So it’s been another busy week at the project, it seems many of the females have finally decided to come up to lay one last time and our sleeping patterns have felt the effects!
The week kicked off with a magnificent Green ‘dawnie’ that only ascended at 5am and stayed until 7! Brilliant for me as I won a can of cold drink for correctly guessing her descent time, and everyone got some great photos. She seemed to pass this message on to fellow females as we’ve had dawnie’s nearly every morning this week.
Sadly, a message from our volunteers up North relayed that one nest they’d found had been fully predated by what looked like a fox, the news of which hit us all hard at Alagadi seeing as a fox has also been spotted roaming the beaches here. Spirits remain high though with the anticipation of our first hatchlings as the laying season draws to a close. The Goat Shed is manic with 25 volunteers making cages for nests, notices for visitors and beach users, and generally promoting our work here which has been so well received by our recent visitors – Thank you!
Thanks goes to the stunning full moon on Thursday night for making our night work a stealth operation. Everyone was fully trained in the tuck-and-roll ‘SAS style,’ and following females became a covert operation. One particular Green that made four separate ascents onto Iki Beach was renamed ‘Scary Mary’ as it didn’t matter how far away we were or how little we moved, somehow her sixth sense kicked in and she failed to lay (despite a multitude of body pits).
Five new volunteers have joined the group at the Goat Shed, with some being trained next week to head out West to help with day work, as from the sounds of things they are swamped!
Watch this space as our first hatchlings will be any day now – we have five nests ring caged on Alagadi and one on Iki that are due to hatch soon and are being checked every night. Keep an eye out for our first hatchlings bloggers! We’re sure to put some photos up for you. Till next week – Rhi.
So it’s been another busy week at the project, it seems many of the females have finally decided to come up to lay one last time and our sleeping patterns have felt the effects!
The week kicked off with a magnificent Green ‘dawnie’ that only ascended at 5am and stayed until 7! Brilliant for me as I won a can of cold drink for correctly guessing her descent time, and everyone got some great photos. She seemed to pass this message on to fellow females as we’ve had dawnie’s nearly every morning this week.
Sadly, a message from our volunteers up North relayed that one nest they’d found had been fully predated by what looked like a fox, the news of which hit us all hard at Alagadi seeing as a fox has also been spotted roaming the beaches here. Spirits remain high though with the anticipation of our first hatchlings as the laying season draws to a close. The Goat Shed is manic with 25 volunteers making cages for nests, notices for visitors and beach users, and generally promoting our work here which has been so well received by our recent visitors – Thank you!
Thanks goes to the stunning full moon on Thursday night for making our night work a stealth operation. Everyone was fully trained in the tuck-and-roll ‘SAS style,’ and following females became a covert operation. One particular Green that made four separate ascents onto Iki Beach was renamed ‘Scary Mary’ as it didn’t matter how far away we were or how little we moved, somehow her sixth sense kicked in and she failed to lay (despite a multitude of body pits).
Five new volunteers have joined the group at the Goat Shed, with some being trained next week to head out West to help with day work, as from the sounds of things they are swamped!
Watch this space as our first hatchlings will be any day now – we have five nests ring caged on Alagadi and one on Iki that are due to hatch soon and are being checked every night. Keep an eye out for our first hatchlings bloggers! We’re sure to put some photos up for you. Till next week – Rhi.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Water Park Fundraising Event 23rd Aug, Lapethos Aquapark
A fund raising event is due to be held at Lapethos Aquapark on 23rd Augus. Tickets can be obtained from Chatteaux Lambousa market from this Saturday onwards.
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