Operation Jairo returns! Summer 2018
by Sea Shepherd Conservation Society 17 May 2018 13:56 BST
Sea Turtles © Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Sea Turtles are some of the oldest living creatures on earth, having shared the earth with the dinosaurs. The oceans are in peril and all sea creatures need our help. Of the seven species of sea turtles, six are currently on the red list of endangered species.
Operation Jairo is in its third season and honors the life and work of Jairo Mora Sandoval, who lived and died protecting sea turtles from poachers.
Sea Shepherd is partnering with researchers from the Antigua Sea Turtle Project (ASTP) to conduct surveys and conservation patrols of key sea turtle nesting sites on Antigua and Barbuda.
The remote beaches of Barbuda provide nesting grounds for three species of endangered marine turtles, including the hawksbill, green and leatherback. All species face significant threats including poaching of nesting adults and eggs, sand mining, by-catch in artisanal fisheries, and coastal development.
Sea Shepherd's interceptor vessel the M/V Brigitte Bardot is currently undergoing a major refit, including replacing the propulsion engines, the generators and the propellers, in order to be able to embark on Operation Jairo in the Caribbean.
The remote and extensive sea turtle nesting areas of Antigua and Barbuda have presented logistical challenges for ongoing monitoring and conservation patrols. Boat transport is required to access the extensive coastline, and evening patrols often conflict with the schedules of available personnel, which presents the perfect opportunity for Sea Shepherd crew members to protect these endangered sea turtles.
The crew of the M/V Brigitte Bardot will partner with scientists who are conducting research to help identify key marine turtle nesting grounds and to implement surveys, which can yield critical information on sea turtle population trends, as well as patterns of habitat use and quality.
With your help, we can provide over a month of patrols, protection and research to ensure that these amazing creatures that have roamed the planet for more than 150 million years will continue to do so.
This coming Friday, May 18th is Endangered Species Day. Support Sea Shepherd in protecting the oceans' biodiversity. Our campaigns are currently acting as a last line of defense in the survival of several endangered species, including the vaquita porpoise, totoaba fish and scalloped hammerhead, as well as many others we save while caring for the oceans. Because if the oceans die, we die.
In the video above, our Sea Shepherd crew is saving a critically endangered East Pacific Leatherback turtle during Operation Milagro IV.