The Olive Ridley sea turtle in danger
Poachers massacre protected turtles on
By Alistair Bell
The carnage was discovered on Escobilla beach, 's top nesting ground for the animals, in the state of
"They killed them with blows to the head and machetes. It is very brutal, the beach would have been covered in blood," said leading environmental campaigner Homero Aridjis.
The poachers did not bother to gather up turtle meat, a delicacy in parts of . Some
The navy has sent two ships to the area to step up protection of turtle nesting areas, the environmental agency said.
Killing or capturing Olive Ridley turtles has been banned in
The killing took place near the popular tourist resorts of Puerto Angel and Puerto Escondido, an international surfing magnet.
Turtle eggs, eaten raw with salt and lemon, can be bought in
"Local people eat the eggs in cantinas as snacks because the men think they are aphrodisiacs," he said.
The Olive Ridley is the smallest species of sea turtle.
Turtles born on Escobilla beach return there years later to leave their eggs at night on dry sand between June and November. Up to 10,000 turtles at a time can crawl onto the sand in a nocturnal spectacle.
Ironically, the Olive Ridley is making a comeback. Record numbers spawned along the Pacific coast last year, thanks largely to stepped up protection against poachers.
International regulations aimed at preventing the accidental capture of turtles and other sea life in deadly fishing nets are also helping boost the population.