Operation Jairo Nicaragua
by Sea Shepherd Conservation Society 28 Dec 2018 07:42 PST
Operation Jairo Nicaragua © Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
In October 2018, Sea Shepherd returned to South America to protect sea turtle eggs, hatchlings, and nesting mothers. Our crew patrols the beaches of Padre Ramos, Nicaragua, which is home to nesting sites for Pacific Hawksbill, Olive Ridley, Green, and occasionally Leatherback sea turtles.
They patrolled the beaches in order to identify poachers, protect nesting mothers, and bring eggs to a hatchery to incubate. This allows the baby sea turtles to be safely born and then returned to the ocean.
When not patrolling or working in the hatchery, the crew conducted beach cleanups. The crew also assisted locals with the removal of a fishing hook from the mouth of a mother turtle who had just laid her eggs.
Despite multiple attacks from poachers, the crew spent three months on the ground in Nicaragua. They found over 40 nests and saved over 3,900 eggs. Over 965 hatchlings have made their way safely into the ocean. This campaign has been highly successful and saved thousands of sea turtles.