Survivor-Colombia: Will Bocas Turtles Face Elimination?
The Survivor-Colombia reality TV show is preparing to film for three months on Isla Colon’s Bluff Beach in Bocas del Toro.
From March to August, leatherback, loggerhead and green turtles drag themselves ashore to nest and spawn on this beach. Bocas residents and environmentalists have expressed concern for the survival of the turtle eggs.
Mayor, Jose Anderson, admittedly ceded the area to the reality show production but said that his office had “emitted a decree prohibiting the extraction of sand from the beaches.”
The National Environmental Authority told La Prensa that it did not grant permission since the beach is now under the municipality’s jurisdiction but that it will investigate.
No word on why Survivor-Colombia is being filmed on one of Bocas del Toro’s most popular beaches.
Survivor-Turtle Production on Bluff Beach/ Photo Bocas Sustainable Tourism Association
There is a treaty between a lot of Caribbean countries regarding sea turtles and their nesting sites, and Panama has signed the treaty. If there is any activity near active turtle nesting, it needs to be supervised by a reputable environmental agency. The permit that was given to allow the construction of the large structures on the beach was signed by the Bocas mayor. One of the paragraphs said that “The activities will be supervised by Asociacion Ecologica de Proteccion de la Tortuga, under command of Marcos Rojas. Checking with the municipio, it turns out that this “association” consists of Marcos Rojas (a local citizen), the mayor himself, and two indigenous men (none of whom are turtle experts). What now?
unbelievably self centered! The survivor site obviously needs to be moved!!
There is no time to waste on investigation in this matter. It is obvious the turtles are nesting with tracks and nests all over the beach and under or inside the structures being built.
These animals are protected by international law yet nobody is enforcing this obvious threat to thousands of possible future turtles as each nest can have up to 100 eggs.
What more information is needed when it is so clear for all to see?
To sacrifice these wonderful creatures for something as ridiculous as a “reality” show is disgusting and cannot be allowed. There is no excuse or reason to allow this to go another day.
Whoever can, please stop this and relocate this crew to another beach where they will do no further harm.
Survivor Columbia should be called “SURVIVOR SEA TURTLE!”
This is nothing but pure GREED over everything else. And what is it for, a STUPID reality show? Come on already, pick up your props and LEAVE Bocas Del Toro for the last time.
If you want to do a real Survivor reality show, please do all filming in Mogadishu, Somalia.
This is a sad state of being! No respect for animals or anything else I might add!
This thinking and mentality must change!
Darren Bishop
Go Home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The mayor of Bocas Del Toro doesn’t understand that there won’t be anything here to come to if he continues to sell his birthright for either greed or pressure. The sand and beaches will be gone, the turtles will be gone and so will the people who support this economy. He is running this island headlong into devastation for a few lousy bucks. Ignorant, short-sighted and very sad.
Susan Hahn
Darren, that is soooooooo true… When Survivor comes they leave a mess and, as Allene has brought to our attention, are destroying the ecosystem here… Let them have their series filmed in Columbia where in some areas they would actually BE Survivors when it was over…
The real survivor show here is whether or not the turtles will (survive)! Please, stop Survivor Colombia and give the turtles a chance to nest here. They don’t have any other choice. The Survivor Colombia production CAN go elsewhere. And SHOULD do so NOW.
We need to start making our environment and the animals that live in it a priority. I hope someone with some control over this situation decides to do something about this particular situation before it’s too late.
This is so tragic, but so very common. Greed and love of money supercede EVERYTHING! Please, please, please, wake up and realize that by allowing the interference of construction and humans trampling the area, we face the probability of ruining another natural habitat and breeding ground of these beautiful creatures.
There are so many other places to film Survivor, PLEASE find one that doesn’t impact the environment and wildlife that rely on the area for their very lives!
There are so many other areas that Survivor could use. I am embarrassed that we live in such a corrupt place. Money talks to our mayor and he seems willing to do anything for it. I hope that something can be done and frustrated that this is even an issue at all.
“Survivor,” please use one of your Hollywood beaches on which the natural order has already been decimated. Leave this pristine beach and its turtle population alone to thrive as God intended. There are probably hundreds of locations where you would be welcomed…Bocas’ Bluff Beach is not one of those locations.
What I find so sad is it’s not the municipality of Bocas that is fighting this battle but the citizens of Bocas Del Toro.
GET OUT SURVIVOR you are not welcome on this beach. You know better. Are you so short sited that you are willing to further endanger a species? Don’t tell me it wouldn’t be a minor inconvenience to move your set to another beach.
You think these people will back off? I think not.
The people of Bocas may be a small group but they have large voices and a strong passion to hopefully right this wrong.
Jose Anderson should be ashamed of himself for allowing yet another bit of the island’s ecosystem to be disregarded for a crappy reality show. Hey SURVIVOR, kiss my ass!
The exploitation of sea turtles is a world wide problem that has severely reduced their numbers and created a true race for survival.Bluff beach is fortunate to be the nesting site of the leatherback and hawksbill.
The Survivor shows that compete in Bocas represent many nationalities but are sent to Bluff under the direction of one company. They should be forced to find a turtle-free beach on which they can dig the 4 foot deep trenches necessary to support the scaffolding used in their “survivor” relay games.
The threat to the turtles, the damage to the beach and unpaved road, and the trash left behind, far outweigh the financial gain of a few greedy profiteers.
How about a REAL Reality show, one that is far from trivial? How about these Survivor Colombia folks bring sand back to the beach, pick up trash around the island, help some of the indigenous peoples develop new job skills and implement a few sustainable employment opportunities, install a few clean water collection systems, tutor some of the kids…. Oh my, REAL opportunities are limitless and none of them threaten turtles! Now THAT would be a show worth watching!
I am incredibly sickened by this!
How could anyone with ANY conscience allow something like this to happen?
These turtles are a prime example of the beauty in our world, to traverse upon these beaches for some STUPID REALITY SHOW!
Like CBS & Mark Burnett couldn’t afford to MOVE this “production” to NOT coincide with the turtle egg/hatchlings process?
Hey, I’ve heard Iceland would have been an excellent choice, and it’s exceptionally beautiful these days! Such classic ambiance for such a classic thespian production!
Oh what the….WHO CARES where it is filmed, look at your other “classic”…yes, “Big Brother”. Sound stages all busy?Doubtful!!!