Leatherbacks make big comeback in S. Florida this year

Though not exactly the Mexican Caribbean, any good news about turtle recovery needs to be posted far and wide.

From an article by Jennifer Gollan in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

They outlived dinosaurs, only to wind up on the endangered species list. Now, leatherback turtles are poised to make something of a mild resurgence this year.

With a few weeks to go in the nesting season, "Anecdotal reports show this could be a record year statewide for leatherback turtle nests," said Meghan Koperski, environmental specialist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The state record, 935 nests, was set in 2001, Koperski said. Florida began keeping records in 1989.

So far, 39 nests have turned up in Broward County, closing in on the record of 41 set in 1997, said Lou Fisher, a natural resource specialist for the Broward County Environmental Protection Department. The county started keeping track in 1981.

Five species of turtles nest in Florida: loggerhead, green, leatherback, hawksbill and Kemp's ridley.

Green and loggerhead turtles nest in Akumal. Hawksbills live in the waters off Akumal, but don't nest there. Leatherbacks are not common to the area.