Public Presentation of Campaign Results

We are delighted that tomorrow, Friday 18th June, will be the first public presentation of results of our collaboration with the Camara Municipal do Sal and other institutions in the campaign to protect turtles on Sal.

The meeting will be opened by the President of the Camara Municipal and many officials from the General Direction for the Environment, the military and maritime police will be attending, as well as representatives from community groups and fishermen's associations.

All are welcome, the meeting is from 9am - 1pm in the Salão Nobre da Câmara Municipal in Espargos.

CM promove atelier de apresentação dos resultados da campanha de protecção das Tartarugas

First two nests quickly adopted

It didn't take long for our first two hatchery nests to be adopted.  The first that has 118 eggs and was moved from Paradise Beach was adopted by Tim Wardman, the owner of Rhooms, an importer of furniture to Cape Verde. 

The second nest of 65 eggs was adopted by Stevie Windows who said that he is hopeful that all 65 hatchlings will be born, but is worried about the condominium and maintenance fees in the meantime.

First loggerhead nest of 2010

We are delighted to announce that Hattie and Neal found the first nest of the season on Algodoeiro, the west coast of Sal on the morning of the 10th June.  The nest had been laid on the perimeter of the Paradise Beach development around 5m from the sea.  It was quite a tricky one to find and as you can see it took plenty of Rangers to get the job done!  In the end Neal got lucky and found the above average clutch of 118 eggs.  Due to concerns about the possibility of lights disorientating the hatchlings when they are born, the nest was moved to the hatchery at Praia Antonio de Sousa (Surf Beach) in Santa Maria.  For new Ranger Sandra Parsons it was her first experience of seeing a turtle track and relocating a nest.  The turtle arrived on the beach a full nine days earlier than last year, possibly due to higher temperatures.  We are now patrolling all the beaches eagerly awaiting the next turtle.

World Oceans Day & Volunteer Night at Blu Bar Tues Jun 8th

Volunteers based on Sal are really important to us and apart from giving the full time Rangers a break, our volunteers provide an important link between SOS and the community.  Becoming a volunteer is really simple and you can choose whatever level of participation you like - from walking on the beach assisting a Ranger a couple of times during the season to completing a full programme of training. Or you could simply participate in our outreach programme which includes school visits, public meetings, tourism activities and beach clean ups.

Seeing turtles in their natural environment is an incredible sight and helping to protect them can be an extremely rewarding experience.

If you have ever felt curious about what SOS Tartarugas is all about please come along to Blu Bar on Tuesday night (World Ocean Day).  We will make a short presentation at 6.15pm and Rangers will be available until 9pm to answer any questions.  We will have English, Italian, Portuguese & German speakers available.

Dia Servico Social/Social Services Day

SOS was pleased to participate in a Social Services Day organised by the Camara Municipal do Sal and worked alongside youth and church groups, soldiers and other residents to help to make Santa Maria a little bit cleaner and tidier. 

As well as helping to paint the public bathroom near the town square we covered up the graffiti that was making the building at the end of the pier an eyesore.  We even got some help from a couple of fishermen who were much handier than us with the roller on the end of a broomstick!

The building belongs to Oasis Atlantico (owners of Belirizonte and Novorizonte hotels) and with their cooperation we will be holding a competition for children to design a mural promoting turtle conservation.

New Capeverdian Zoological Society

We were very pleased to hear about a new society that has just been started - Sociedade Caboverdiana de Zoologia

Founder Cornelis J. Hazevoet says "The aim of the organisation is to promote zoological research in Cape Verde. One of the means through which this is aimed to achieve is the publication of a scientific, peer-reviewed journal - Zoologia
Caboverdiana."

SOS will be participating in this great initiative by submitting an article for the next edition, due in October 2010.

SOS Tartarugas in Goa

At the recent symposium of the International Sea Turtle Society SOS were represented by three Rangers from last year, Joe Scarola, Ilaria Dalle and Mariel Murazzi.  The Rangers presented the results from scientific studies undertaken in 2009 on Sal.  The full abstracts can be read by following these links :

Artificial Lighting Effects on Caretta caretta hatchlings on Sal island (Joseph Scarola, Neal Clayton, Jacquie Cozens)

Relationship among tide, beach profile and nest success of loggerheads on Sal island. (Ilaria Dalle Mura, Maria Elvira Murazzi, Sílvia P. P. Lino, João G. Monteiro, Jacquie Cozens, and Paolo Luschi)

Influence of temperature on sex ratio on Sal island. (Maria Elvira Murazzi, Ilaria Dalle Mura, Sílvia P. P. Lino, João G. Monteiro, Jacquie Cozens, and Paolo Luschi)

Two other abstracts were also submitted
Conservation of Turtles in Cape Verde - Different Approaches for Different Islands (Jacquie Cozens)

Outreach, conservation and protection of Caretta caretta, Maio Island, Cape Verde (Joao Gouveia, Samir Martins, Jacquie Cozens)