Sea turtles begin returning to Puerto Rico's beaches

The turtle nesting season on Puerto Rico's beaches has officially begun with the recording of the first arrival of sea turtles, the largest such creatures in the world, at the island's Northeast Ecological Corridor Nature Reserve, or RNCEN.

Puerto Rico's secretary of the Natural and Environmental Resources Department (DRNA), Carmen Guerrero, said in a statement that a turtle nested on one of RNCEN's beaches on the morning of Feb. 25.

The nesting season for the sea turtles, which since 1970 has been included on the endangered species list, typically begins in early March.

Last year, the first sea turtle nest was spotted on the beach at Isla Verde, in metropolitan San Juan.

Each year, the turtles migrate from Canadian waters to tropical climes to reproduce. The eggs are laid between March and mid-summer, and they hatch between July and September, after which the hatchlings take to the sea, where they spend the bulk of their existence.

Sea turtles can grow to a length of more than 2 meters (7 feet) and weigh up to 635 kg (1,400 lb.)

The DRNA Sea Turtles Program coordinator, Carlos Diez, said that 1,874 nests were tallied all around the island in 2015, compared to 1,386 in 2013.

The turtles exhibit biennial behavior, meaning that statistics can only be compared over two-year periods. Some 77,000 turtles were born on Puerto Rican beaches in 2015, compared to 67,000 in 2013.

"In Puerto Rico, we're ready and prepared to protect and monitor the nesting process of these endangered sea turtles," Guerrero said. EFE

Sea turtles begin returning to Puerto Rico's beaches