Date: June 20, 2024
Author: Adriana Lechuga Granados & César Arroyo Vega.
Postulated by: GroBios A.C.

The early morning of April 20, 2024 the Mexican Pacific was the scene of a new alliance between people and leatherback turtles. Specifically in the town “Mata de Mangle” in the municipality of Copala, state of Guerrero, Mexico. At two in the morning, the community received a visit from a beautiful leatherback turtle that came out of the sea and was preparing to nest in the area. However, it did not successfully achieve its mission because that area of the beach did not had the right conditions for nesting.

The leatherback turtle continued to move around the area, possibly looking for a better nesting spot or to return to the sea. However, some experts in the area shared that apparently the leatherback turtle became disoriented due to different lights around it, which caused it to mistakenly head towards a lagoon that took her much further away from the sea. According to community members, the turtle possibly remained in the lagoon for around 12 hours, this exhausted it and reduced the possibility of it being able to return to the sea.

Fortunately, a person noticed the presence of the leatherback turtle when agitation was seen among the aquatic vegetation of the lagoon. The person who located the turtle had the initiative to communicate with José Fernando Ávila Pérez, alias Panano from Campamento Tortuguero El Panano, located in Playa Ventura very close to the rescue site. In addition, the support of Risk Management brigade officers and Civil Protection of Guerrero was requested. All together, with the help of ropes, they took on the task of towing the turtle with the help of a truck for approximately 200 meters, managing to remove it and guide it in the direction of the beach. While it was being towed, the rescuers wet its body with sea water, even so, during the process, due to the difficulty of moving it due to its large size and weight, unfortunately it suffered some lacerations on its anterior fins and head, but according to its rescuers, nothing serious that would prevent the mobilization of its extremities and that prevented the leatherback from swimming in the water.

During three hours of intense work, the team demonstrated unwavering dedication. Between shouts of encouragement and excitement, the brigadiers, Panano and other locals managed to take this beautiful leatherback turtle back to the sea. Once on the shore, everyone celebrated the release, wishing her luck on her journey with words of encouragement and affection.

This inspiring story reminds us of the value and importance of teamwork as well as sensitivity towards marine wildlife. We thank these brave guardians for helping “Turky,” the beautiful Mata de Mangle leatherback turtle, for their remarkable and selfless effort and dedication to a successful rescue and release.

This recognition is for the following people: José Fernando Ávila Pérez, Jorge Luis Berra García, Fernando Morales Garibo, Anselmo Valente, Uriel Bernal, Luis Enrique Serna, Francisco Javier León Ignacio and José N. Arizmendi.