Hungry Panamanians Contribute to Decrease in Sea Turtles

Although sea turtles have survived since the time of the dinosaurs, fewer are arriving to lay their eggs on Panamanian shores because the people on those shores like to dig them up and eat them.

“Turtles spawn large quantities of eggs, but this has declined due to excessive harvesting of eggs and hunting for popular consumption,” said biologist Jorge Garcia of Panama’s National Environmental Authority’s Protected Areas, La Prensa reports.

Nesting season is from late May to October.  Five  of the seven known marine turtle species come to the Panamanian Pacific and Atlantic coasts to spawn.  Identified as the Caretta caretta, Chelonia mydas, Eretmochelys imbricata, Dermochelys coriacea and Lepidochelys olivacea species, they are also respectively known as loggerhead, green, hawskbill, leatherback and olive ridley turtles.

Turtle arrives to Isla Cañas Beach, Province of Los Santos