EnglishThe Pacific Ocean is home to sea turtles, a keystone species. They distribute nutrients throughout the waters, positively influencing ecosystems—especially those that exhibit poor primary productivity.
They also help maintain stable dune vegetation critical to their reproductive success. Additionally, marine turtles keep the numbers of jellyfish, sponges, and seagrass in check, encouraging the faster and healthier growth of seabeds while supporting the food chain’s integrity.
They are unquestionably critical to the undersea environment. Their extinction would catastrophically impact our delicate life systems. Hence, Paso Pacifico has been committed to saving the Pacific Slope’s sea turtles for the past 10 years.
Sea Turtles and Their Habitats
Where do sea turtles live? You can find these animals in all of the world’s oceans except for polar waters where they find it difficult to regulate their temperatures.
The Pacific has the most abundant populations. You can find six of the seven turtle species in existence here. Here’s a look at them:
Flatback Turtle
The Natator depressus or flatback turtle is native to Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Irian Jaya’s south coast. Though it can be found across these 3 areas, it only breeds in the Land Down Under, specifically Crab Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria which has the world’s largest flatback rookery.
Foraging behavior is flexible; however, the furthest distance they’ve covered is over 1,500 miles from their original nesting site.
Green Turtle
The Chelonia mydas or green turtle can be found globally but its East Pacific subspecies has been classified as endangered. The overharvesting of eggs and turtles has led to its dramatic population decline.
Hawksbill Turtle
The Eretmochelys imbricata or hawksbill turtle lives in the tropical waters of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans. They nest in Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, and Nicaragua. The largest site is the Estero Padre Ramos Natural Reserve which has 150 to 300 sea turtles.
Leatherback Turtle
The Demochely coriacea or leatherback turtle swims 3,700 miles at a time to feed and breed during migration, creating an extensive distribution worldwide.
Leatherbacks nest in Nicaragua, Panama, Mexico, and Costa Rica. But its largest nesting area is in Papua Barat, Indonesia.
Sadly, its nesting activities remain low. Leatherbacks lay fewer eggs than other turtle species. And with infertile eggs in every clutch, they have low reproductive success.
Loggerhead Turtle
Caretta carettas or loggerheads are tracked by satellite more than any other creature on Earth. They have been known to swim almost 8,000 miles from Japan to the coastal regions of California and Baja Mexico.
The Central North Pacific area has been shown to be vital for juvenile loggerheads during developmental foraging.
Olive Ridley Turtle
The Lepidochelys olivacea or olive ridley turtles live in circumtropical regions. The Pacific’s warm waters, particularly Costa Rica and Mexico, are prime nesting grounds. They mate en masse in the area, an event known as arribada.
Mexico is home to the largest nesting sites, with the biggest one in Playa La Escobilla. The Mexican waterfront sanctuary is where more than 2 million turtles nest annually. Meanwhile, the rookeries at the Ostional Beach in Costa Rica host nearly half a million egg-laying females in one season.
Nesting has also grown to include 2 new beaches in Costa Rica, Corozalito and Camaronal, where over 47,000 nests were recorded in 2019.
Major Threats To Sea Turtles
Pacific Ocean sea turtles are prey for many animals but their biggest threat is rooted in human activities, primarily:
Fishing
Longline hooks, shrimp trawl nets, and gillnets accidentally capture thousands of turtles each year. The term for this is “bycatch.” It is the deadliest threat to this protected species.
Leatherheads, green turtles, and loggerheads are at greater risk due to their feeding grounds.
Habitat Destruction
Nearly a fourth of sandy beaches around the world are disappearing by -1.6 feet annually because of anthropogenic and natural influences. As they erode, suitable nesting sites become fewer, giving turtles fewer places where they can lay eggs, hatch them, and allow their offspring to emerge.
As coastal developments increase, they encroach on vital nesting areas. Seawalls that mitigate waves also affect these species by creating impenetrable barriers during turtles’ prime nesting seasons.
Plastic Pollution
We add as much as 12 million tons of plastic into our oceans annually. Each year, at least 1,000 turtles die from plastic waste entanglement while 22% of them swallow it.
Accidental ingestion happens because plastic looks like jellyfish in the water. When turtles mistakenly consume plastic, it leads to lacerations, perforations in the gastrointestinal tract, and obstructions.
Climate Change
Temperature influences gender. When temperatures are cooler, more male turtles are produced while warmer environments result in more females. Turtle populations could become disproportionately female due to global warming, influencing their reproductive abilities.
Illegal Harvesting
Over 1.1 million turtles were illegally trafficked and killed from 1990 to 2020. In 95% of cases, hawksbill and green turtles were poached.
These majestic creatures are harvested for:
- Food: Turtle eggs and meat are a common source of protein for many coastal communities. They are considered a delicacy. More than half of the residents in a study admitted to consuming it in 2019.
- Medicine: Various parts of the sea turtle are harvested to treat ailments and diseases. For example, West African traditional medicine believes the fat from leatherback turtles can cure fever, seizures, and malaria.
- Their shells: Hawksbills are hunted for their striking carapace plates. Over 9 million of them have been harvested in the last 180 years.
Illegal exploitation has declined over the past decade. This was likely brought on by domestic and international conservation efforts and intergovernmental conservation initiatives.
Vessel Strikes
Hundreds of sea turtles are injured or killed from colliding with vessels each year. With many unnoticed or unreported incidents, the actual mortality rates are much higher.
How To Protect the Sea Turtles of the Pacific Ocean
Here’s how we can safeguard the species:
Protect Nesting Beaches
Predators, disorienting artificial light, litter, and other obstacles—many factors keep young hatchlings from reaching the ocean.
There are also best practices—such as keeping the area clear, leaving nests alone, and calling local wildlife authorities—that can ensure their survival. Know what to do and share it with others.
Reduce Plastic Use
Plastic affects turtles of the Pacific Ocean at every stage of their lifecycle. It affects migration behavior by creating blockades, obstructing the digestive tract when they mistake it for food, and has hormone-disrupting effects leading to the birth of more females.
Avoiding single-use plastic is a great start to avoiding these harmful consequences.
Don’t Use Cleaning Products With Harmful Chemicals
Stay away from commercial cleaning products that have toxic chemicals. These inevitably find their way into our oceans. They can present toxicity to aquatic species like turtles, leading to skin lesions and respiratory problems. They may even cause death.
So, switch to natural cleaning products to keep their habitats clean.
Be Careful With Fishing Gear
Reckless fishing is bad for the sea turtles of the Pacific Ocean. If you’re indulging in this recreational hobby, make sure to:
- Use barbless hooks
- Inspect your gear to avoid line breaks
- Change locations if a turtle is nearby
Should you accidentally catch a sea turtle, reel it in and cut the line as close to the hook as possible. As you do this, keep your hands away from its mouth and flippers.
Maintain Safe Distances
Seeing turtles in their natural habitat is a rewarding experience but maintain at least a 50-yard distance. This will keep them from becoming distressed and help them avoid drowning.
Get Involved With Paso Pacifico
Ensuring sea turtles’ survival requires collective, multilateral measures. Fortunately, laws like the Endangered Species Act are helping them grow their numbers. Selling and trading these creatures is now deemed illegal.
Help us create a safer world for these ancient reptiles by donating to our fundraiser. Together, let’s protect their habitats in Mesoamerica’s Pacific Slope and support their wildlife corridors.