Poached sea turtles rescued

Department of Environment staff and police freed two turtles trussed up by poachers and awaiting slaughter this month in two separate rescues. 

Chief Conservation Officer Mark Orr from the Department of Environment swam one of the rescued turtles, a 200-pound female green sea turtle, through mangroves and out into the open sea after he untied her from a tree in Barkers in West Bay. 

Police on board the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service air unit helicopter alerted the Department of Environment of the likelihood of a turtle being captured when they spotted a wave runner with a large object tied to the front of it off West Bay on Wednesday, 7 September. 

“The wave runner was later stopped by the RCIPS marine unit, but nothing was found. We then instigated a land and sea search in the area where the RCIPS Air Unit had first seen the wave runner,” Mr. Orr said. 

He found the turtle tied to a tree by her front fins in the back of a cove at the Head of Barkers. 

Mr. Orr said he was worried that if he simply set the turtle free, she would get entangled in the mangroves, so he put her on her back, pulled her onto his chest and swam back to the North Sound where he released her. 

In a press release Tuesday, in which details of that rescue and an earlier one were outlined, he said: “It was quite a struggle convincing the 200-pound turtle that I was bringing her to safety as she continually tried to bite me. Once out of the cove, I first made sure she did not have any injuries before releasing her.” 

Earlier this month, members of the public alerted the Department of Environment that a turtle was tied up on bushes near Sand Hole Road in West Bay. 

“We suspect that the one near Sand Hole Road, a 375-pound green turtle, was probably laying eggs when she was caught and tied up. Poachers then hid her in the bush, but before they could return, she was found,” Mr. Orr said. 

He told the Caymanian Compass these were the only two poaching incidents reported during this year’s turtle nesting season. 

However, Mr. Orr and other officers from the Department of Environment and police frequently patrol areas are targeted by poachers.  

Turtles are endangered and protected by law under the Marine Conservation Law. Breaking that law carries a maximum penalty of a $500,000 fine and one year in prison. 

Every year, between May and early October, turtles climb onto beaches to dig nest and lay their eggs.  

According the Department of Environment research officer Janice Blumenthal, so far department staff and volunteers have recorded about 160 turtle nests. 

“There are fewer green sea turtle nests this year than last year. It tends to go in cycles,” she said. 

Last year saw record figures for the entire nesting season when 244 nests were found, including 174 green sea turtle nests, 67 loggerhead nests and three hawksbill nests. This was the greatest number of nests found since monitoring began in 1998. 

Mr. Orr urged members of the public to be his department’s “eyes and ears” and to report any poaching or attempted poaching. 

“We cannot be everywhere and thus rely heavily on information from the public. If you see something, call 911, contact the police or talk to me directly at 916-6271,” he said.