The 2012 sea turtle nesting season is well underway and the marine biologist of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and staff of Bacalar Chico Reserve are working hard in monitoring the beaches up north and taking down data for this season. A special discover was made this week on the northernmost part of the island; the very first Hawksbill turtle nest for the season was found by the team.

Nesting efforts are concentrated in two main beaches on Northern Ambergris Caye which are Robles and Rocky Point beaches. Here biologist and assistants work diligently in finding the nests and counting hatchling success and spoiled eggs. Hatchlings which are trapped in the nests are taken out and rehabilitated at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve Office and then released in the deep water.

During the nesting and hatching season, residents are advised to be extremely careful, be mindful of the endangered turtles and to refrain from tampering with turtles or their nests. Park rangers, along with law enforcement agencies, conduct regular patrols and turtle monitoring along the beaches to collect data that are used to measure and analyze turtle populations in Belize.

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