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Figure 1. Location of green turtle nest in the community of Los Pinos, province of Contralmirante Villar, Tumbes, northern Peru. Location of southernmost green turtle nest in Ecuador is indicated by open circle.

Since 2007, volunteers from the Peruvian NGO “Planeta Océano” (Planet Ocean) and its sea turtle flagship program “Proyecto Tortugas Marinas” have engaged local community members from villages along the coast of Tumbes, northern Peru, in efforts to promote conservation of sea turtles and other marine resources. The northern coast of Peru is considered an important foraging and development area for sea turtles (Hays Brown & Brown 1982; Forsberg 2008; Rosales et al. 2008); and to date, only the olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) was documented nesting in this region (Hays & Brown 1982; Manrique et al. 2003; Kelez et al. 2009; Vera et al. 2008). Chelonia mydas nesting had never been reported from Peru before, despite the proximity to nesting sites in Ecuador.

In March 2009, residents from the coastal community of Los Pinos, province of Contralmirante Villar, Tumbes (Fig. 1) reported the discovery of sea turtle hatchlings that had been encountered on the beach three months earlier, close to nearby homes (3°41’00.8”S, 80°41’19.9”W). Based on field interviews, it was determined that approximately 80 hatchlings were found, some located inland from the beach, likely attracted by artificial lights. An unknown number of hatchlings were collected and maintained in captivity by different local families. Most hatchlings died during the first few days of captivity. About 15 hatchlings were reported to have been released back into the sea shortly after their capture.

Figure 2. Green turtle from nest laid in Los Pinos, Peru, held in captivity by local community members. Curved carapace length <10 cm, container diameter = 30 cm.

The “Proyecto Tortugas Marinas” volunteers were invited into the private residence of the Sunción family, and shown a sole surviving individual, which was identified as a green turtle (curved carapace length, CCL < 10 cm, Fig. 2). Recognizing that captive conditions were clearly substandard relative to those recommended by Higgins (2003), the volunteers explained the importance of release of the captive turtle back to the sea. Because the family had grown fond of their “pet,” they were reluctant to release the turtle and did so only after respectful negotiation and explanation of the need for better husbandry conditions.

The captive history of the turtle is as follows: During its first 3 days of captivity (January 2009) the turtle was kept in a plastic 30-50 cm diameter x 30-35 cm deep bucket with tap water. The turtle’s condition deteriorated, so the tap water was replaced with approx. 8 L of seawater, and changed daily. The turtle was fed 3 times per day with small pieces (approx. 100 g) of fish or shrimp. On sporadic occasions it was fed chicken, and during the last months of captivity it was also fed live specimens of mole crabs (Emerita analoga). In total, the family held the turtle in captivity for 6 months, from January to July 2009. During this period, its CCL increased to 20.5 cm, and it remained vigorous and fed actively throughout. Natural behaviors such as diving and resting with its front flippers lying behind its carapace were observed. Such behaviors were also confirmed upon transporting the turtle to a larger seawater tank before its release.

On Friday, 17 July 2009, at 12:30 pm, the turtle was tagged with a flipper tag on the trailing edge of both fore flippers and freed on the beach, in an area with little fishery interference. It crawled to the water and swam away from the coast. The turtle was escorted approximately 80 m out to sea, in order to ascertain whether its behavior was adequate, and to ensure a path free of fishing gear. The turtle began its route with short (4-5 seconds long) and superficial (approx. 40 cm. deep) dives, and after approximately 50 m, continued with longer (approx. 10 second) dives. The release involved the local family and other residents of Los Pinos, all of whom were clearly excited and proud of this event.

Although this account is based on one turtle, it provides several insights that could be important to guide future research and conservation measures for this species in the region. First, the southward extension of the nesting range for this species should be considered in future management plans. Whether green turtles once nested in Peru in greater numbers is unknown. However, climate change may someday alter the distribution of sea turtles in the Eastern Pacific (Fischlin et al. 2007; Hoffman et al. 2009), perhaps including more regular green turtle nesting in northern Peru. Additional observations of green sea turtle nesting reported later on in the area (Wester et al. in press) suggest that reproductive events for this species could indeed be more common than once expected for northern Peru. Second, this case reveals potential problems and obstacles for sea turtle nesting in Peru, including the presence of visible artificial light at night on beaches due to the growing tourism infrastructure and proximity of towns to beaches, and the collection of hatchlings over curiosity or entertainment.

As observations of sea turtle nesting events become more frequent in the region (Forsberg et al., unpublished data; Kelez et al. 2009), awareness campaigns and local empowerment is necessary to mitigate impacts on potential future nests laid in the area. Planeta Océano has established a community-based network to monitor and protect sea turtle nests in northern Peru. From October to December 2011, this collaborative effort successfully protected and monitored an olive ridley nest in-situ for the first time ever in the country, from oviposition to hatching, and eventual crawling of the hatchlings to sea. New potential threats to sea turtle nests in the region have also been documented, including beach flooding from adjacent shrimp farms and limited drainage of nesting chambers, likely produced by interference of beach constructions (Forsberg et al. unpublished data).

Community-based efforts, such as this Sea Turtle Conservation Network, offer valuable contributions to promote research, awareness and protection of sea turtle nests in the area, and underline the need to further reinforce stakeholder engagement and spatial planning for sea turtle conservation in the region.

Acknowledgements: We acknowledge the Sunción family for their participation regarding this work and appreciate the commitment of “Planeta Océano/Proyecto Tortugas Marinas” local volunteers, who benefit sea turtle conservation in north Peru through their constant efforts and enthusiasm. We are deeply grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Forsberg for their constant support and collaboration and warmly thank Jack Frazier, Randall Arauz, Jeffrey Seminoff and Nelly de Paz for their valuable contributions to this manuscript. We also thank Diana Monti, Ricardo Fernandez, Lucho Florez, Mr. and Mrs. Casabonne, Ricardo Sanjinez, Andrea Petit, Alexander Arévalo, the hotel DCO staff, and all community members who actively participate in our sea turtle conservation network.

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