Nesting of Dermochelys coriacea in the Médanos de Coro National Park and conservation initiative in La Bocaina, Paraguaná, Falcón State

Abstract

The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is one of the five species of sea turtles found on the Venezuelan coast, and is considered critically endangered, primarily due to the poaching of its eggs and the intentional and accidental killing of nesting females. The objective of this study was to record evidence of female leatherback sea turtle nesting, such as tracks, nests, and hatchling emergence, in the La Encrucijada sector located within the Los Médanos de Coro National Park, and to initiate a sea turtle conservation campaign in the community of La Bocaína in conjunction with the Ministry of the Environment and INPARQUES (National Parks Institute). During the months of April-July 2007 until 2011, surveys were conducted along the beach in the La Encrucijada sector to record the nesting activity of female leatherback sea turtles, observing a density of 10 nests per kilometer of beach, mainly in the months of April and July. In 2012, a theoretical and practical workshop on the biology and importance of sea turtles was held for staff from INPARQUES and the Ministry of Popular Power for the Environment of Falcón. Similarly, two talks on the conservation of these species were given to the residents of La Bocaína, which led to the creation of brochures, banners, and t-shirts as a community initiative to promote the protection of sea turtles both within and outside the National Park.