Nearly 100 endangered turtles hatched on a Brazilian beach last March 22. The area was reportedly deserted due to the partial lockdown imposed in Paulista, a town in the north-eastern state of Pernambuco.
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According to Paulista City Hall, 97 Hawksbill sea turtles made their way to the sea unencumbered by obstacles.
The turtles are typically very vulnerable right after hatching, with many of them unable to even reach the sea after having hatched. Their survival is routinely threatened by beachgoers who tend to step on them as well as hungry birds that snatch them up.
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However, with residents of Pernambuco banned from congregating on the beach due to the spread of COVID-19 the Hawksbill sea turtles found a much clearer path to the ocean.
“In all, 291 sea turtles were born on the coast of Paulista in 2020, with 87 green turtles and 204 hawksbill turtles. This time, due to preventive measures against the new coronavirus, the population was unable to closely monitor the birth,” Herbert Andrade, Environmental Manager at Paulista said of the event.
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World Wildlife classifies the Hawksbill sea turtles’ existence as “vital to marine ecosystems and helps maintain the health of coral reefs and seagrass bed.”
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