Turtle breeding season begins in Fernando de Noronha

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So far, 40 nests have been counted and the expectation is to surpass 300 nests by the month of June. First nest was registered at Sancho Projeto Tamar/Disclosure The researchers at Projeto Tamar are optimistic about the start of the breeding season for sea turtles in Fernando de Noronha. This Friday (3), the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) released a balance of spawning on the island. So far, 40 nests have been recorded and the expectation is to exceed 300 spawning by June. “Last season was considered average, there were 263 nests. This current season we expect a higher number. We believe that we must exceed 300 nests”, said the Tamar Project researcher Afonso Nascimento. Share on WhatsApp Share on Telegram The 2022/2023 season started at the end of December and the first turtle births should take place in the next few days. The eggs take about 50 days to hatch. Tamar researchers check the nests Projeto Tamar/Disclosure As always happens, Praia do Leão has most of the spawning. So far there are 20 nests on site. In second place comes Praia do Sancho, which has registered 11 nests so far. The researchers also identified spawning in Cacimba do Padre, Bode, Conceição and even in the Southeast, which has two nests so far. “Praia do Sueste doesn’t have many nests; the average is five spawnings in the season and we already have two. Sometimes the female leaves the sea, tries to lay the eggs, fails and then returns”, explained Afonso Nascimento. The species that breeds in Noronha is the Chelonia mydas, popularly known as the green turtle. On the island it is also possible to see the hawksbill turtle, which has the scientific name Eretmochelys imbricata, and does not reproduce in Fernando de Noronha. Tiger shark Shark researchers believe that tiger sharks begin to frequent Fernando de Noronha in greater numbers during the turtle spawning period. They are part of the food chain of these animals. “The shark is the main predator of turtles. It is the only animal that manages to prey on adult turtles. The turtle’s shell is resistant and the tiger shark is one of the few animals that manages to break through the shell,” said Nascimento. The researcher does not believe that there is an environmental imbalance on the island. “Turtles are part of the sharks’ diet, like fish. The shark has a biological importance; this animal is part of the ecosystem. The environment in Noronha is balanced”, evaluated Afonso Nascimento. VIDEOS: most viewed from Pernambuco in the last 7 days

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