3. Hatchlings

Finally, after such a long wait and being uncertain about survival rates after the hurricane that hit Cabo Verde we discovered that hatchlings did survive! We were in awe to see them hatch  and see  them break through the surface! 

Sometimes, it can take an hour to hatch after an initial sign ( a depression of sand in the nest) .

In loggerhead turtles it takes about 60 days for a hatchling to hatch and the temperature  of nest will affect the sex of it  (incubation temperature range is between 26-32 °C). Cooler temperatures produce more males and higher temperatures produce more females. The term pivotal temperature is used when there is an equal ratio of both females and males (30 °C ).

We had to count hatchlings from each nest (sometimes more than 120) and measure their length and width and weigh them (only from a representative sample) before setting them free! Once on the beach, about 5 meters from water, we tilted the bucket and made sure that no ghost crab got them! Quite a challenge as crabs were fast and hungry!

Hatchling making its way to the sea
Hatchling making its way to the sea