A natural spectacle captured the attention of guests and workers at the Mojito Hotel, and other holidaymakers enjoying the waters of Playa Larga on Cayo Coco, when the eggs from a sea turtle nest, guarded for 54 days, hatched this Monday

Yenisey Martín Mosquera, legal advisor for that hotel facility located in the northern cays of the province of Ciego de Ávila, notified the Cuban News Agency of the birth of around 150 turtles, which occurred near midday, allowing everyone to appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of the moment the hatchlings emerged and ran towards the sea

The hatching of the majority of the eggs and the survival of almost all the chelonians was a success, circumstances which correspond with the forecasts for the reproductive processes of sea turtles under normal conditions

Martín Mosquera expressed the satisfaction and pride of the employees of that tourist facility for contributing to the conservation of one of the planet’s longest-lived species, which is in danger of extinction and threatened by phenomena such as the pollution of marine-coastal ecosystems, climate change, the destruction of habitats, and indiscriminate fishing

At the end of last July, a security worker at the Mojito Hotel, while carrying out his duties during the night shift, spotted and managed to capture on his mobile phone the egg-laying of a loggerhead turtle on the segment of sandy coast located in front of the hotel

Once the event was known, the pertinent measures were immediately adopted to protect the nest, with the advice of representatives from the scientific sector, which included the demarcation and signalling of the area, permanent surveillance, and cleaning of the site, with the aim of guaranteeing the success of the reproductive process

In this context, the workers were motivated to seek out information about sea turtles, which allowed them to become sensitised to these chelonians, especially regarding the complexities they face in multiplying their species

Upon acquiring knowledge, they were also able to provide greater care to the area where the nesting occurred

The current reproductive season for sea turtles has been particularly active on Cayo Coco, with a total of eight reports of egg-laying, distributed across Las Coloradas, Larga, and Prohibida beaches, the latter having the concentration of six nests and the advantage of being located in a protected area with the category of Ecological Reserve

Nests of green, loggerhead, and hawksbill turtles are recorded, according to information released in recent days by the Cuban News Agency

In all cases, the pertinent security measures are adopted to safeguard the areas where the eggs were deposited, in quantities that exceed one hundred, as is usual for these chelonians

Sea turtles in Cuba are distributed across the entire island platform, however, the main nesting zones are found in the south of the country, estimated recently by Doctor of Sciences Julia Azanza Ricardo, director of the Marine Research Centre at the University of Havana

Five species are reported in the Cuban archipelago and four of them spawn in its region

The main actions in the Antillean nation, with a view to the conservation of these species, are featured in a programme for monitoring these populations and research projects on the dangers they face.