Loggerhead turtle hatchlings are born on the edge of Vila Velha

Photo: Kielson Nascimento/PMVV

In Brazil, the priority spawning areas for this species are located on the northern coasts of Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo and Bahia, and along the coast of Sergipe.

Once again, nature presented the municipality of Vila Velha with the birth of 31 hatchlings of loggerhead or mestizo turtles (Caretta caretta). The birth took place at the end of the afternoon of this Monday (30), at Praia de Itaparica.

In Brazil, the priority spawning areas for this species are located on the northern coasts of Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo and Bahia, and along the coast of Sergipe. The nests that are present in the strip between Conceição da Barra (ES) and Saquarema (RJ) are monitored by the company Ambipar, which here in the municipality has the support of the Vila Velha city hall.

One of the main threats to sea turtles is the accidental ingestion of plastic. Biologist and coordinator of environmental education, Daniel Motta, explains that more and more plastic materials are found in these animals:

“More than half of the waste found in the sea is plastic. When an animal accidentally feeds on them, it has a false sense of satiety and, because they are not eating properly, they become malnourished and die of starvation,” he said.

It is worth remembering that, daily, the city hall, through the Department of Urban Services, collects around five tons of waste left on the 32 km of the city’s shore. This amount refers to waste from kiosks, street vendors and, mainly, waste left on the sand by people who use the beaches.

The interim Secretary for the Environment, Isabela Igreja, asks the population for support:

“The City Hall does its part by cleaning and inspecting the coastline of Vila Velha. It is also up to the population to contribute, not discarding waste on the beach sands. We are all responsible for keeping our city’s environment better and more pleasant to live in”, he concluded.

What to do if you find marine animals?

Due to the importance of the subject, the City Hall of Vila Velha advises that, when finding a turtle nest or any marine animal, alive or dead, in the sand of the beaches of our municipality, the instruction is to call the number 0800 039 5005, telephone number Beach Monitoring Project (PMP), which will trigger a team responsible for rescuing the animal. It is important to point out that, when finding a marine animal in the beach sand, it is not to touch or move it. (Semcom/PMVV)