Sea Turtles' Loose in Tenerife

The 4th ESO students of Colegio Costa Adeje have recently taken part in an activity called “Sea Turtles’ Loose” in Los Abades (a little beach in the south east of Tenerife). There is on Tenerife an association, Fundación Neotrópico, which takes care of sick sea turtles found in our coasts until they recover.

In the activity we were first introduced to the different types of sea turtles which live in our coasts:
- Kemp’s ridley (Tortuga golfina)
- Hawksbill (Tortuga Carey)
- Loggerhead turtle (Tortuga boba)
- Green turtle (Tortuga verde)
- Leatherback (Tortuga laúd)

Then we were told about the main threats for them:
- Ingestion of plastics, fish-hooks, abandoned nets and garbages.
- Destruction of nesting places. - Consumption of turtles eggs or meat.
- Souvenirs production.
- Impacts with boats.

We were also given some pieces of advice about what to do if we find a sick sea turtle. The most important fact is to call the emergency team (112) immediately, but while we are waiting for them and depending on its illness, we should:
- If it is oiled: Clear nostrils and mouth to let it breath.
- If it is got entangled: Cut the net or garbage to diminish pain and to restore blood flow.
- If it has swallowed fish-hooks or fish-lines: Do not pull the line, only cut it. The veterinarians will extract the hook with surgery.
- If it has a broken shell: Cover the wounds or broken shell with a towel moisten with water until the rescue team arrive.

After that we had a unique experience: a recovered sea turtle found some months ago, was released back into the sea. It was put on the sand in front of us while we were making a lot of noise until it found its way to the water by itself. It was really exciting! Have a look at the video!

At the end of the activity we were given a simple key to recognize the different kinds of sea turtles living near the Canary Islands. For further information about sea turtles, the association or others, have a look at: http://www.neotropico.org/ They also have some documents related to turtles in English and Spanish at: http://www.neotropico.org/spip.php?article (You only have to download a pdf document)