Starting with the discovery of 22 dead Olive Ridley turtles on Playa Blanca April 6^th, more than 300 others have since been observed beaches stretching from Playa Larga to La Barrita south of Petatlan.

Wildlife Vet Jorge Guzman conducted initial necropsies on several turtles found on April 6^th and concluded that the turtles had most likely died from drowning, partly as they did not have other obvious injuries.

Original speculation and reporting by local press focused on commercial shrimp boats that use enormous nets. Given that the US recently banned the sale of Mexican wild shrimp because of turtle deaths resulting from nets without adequate turtle escape features, and the local arrest and impoundment of one shrimp boat, this seemed a likely possibility.

However, with the turtle death toll reaching over three hundred, shrimp netting seems a less obvious answer.  While dead turtles are often observed on beaches after large commercial fishing boats have been in the waters, locals report that they have never witnessed dead turtles washing up onshore in such numbers.

Mr. Guzman and the local, state and national environmental authorities from Semarnat and Profepa and the federal agency Semaren have visited the affected beaches and Jorge has performed more necropsies. It is difficult to determine the exact cause of death when the turtles are in a state of advanced decomposition. Biological tissue samples have been taken to be analyzed for evidence of infection or other pathogens and will be compared with tissue samples taken earlier this year from turtles rescued and brought to El Refugio de Potosi while still alive.  These rescued turtles ultimately died.

Mr. Guzman is hopeful, as are we all,  that answers can be found to explain this devastating and tragic loss of marine turtle life.

Link to article on Mexican Wild Shrimp Ban:

http://www.seaturtles.org/article.php?id=1533