By frank zindel on 01.09.2010

Here is the English translation of the minutes of the Second Annual Cape Verde Sea Turtle Network, now known as TAOLO.
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By frank zindel on 01.09.2010

From Joana Hancock - Turtle Foundation's Field Coordinator on Boavista:

Two adults and one teenager were arrested last week on Curral Velho Beach.
Just before the start of a patrol a turtle was caught and taken away by car. Soldiers were alerted to this suspect activity, and when the car was found with a bucket and ice near the area where the turtles had been taken before, the soldiers did not hesitate to find the poachers and arrest them. One of them is a local driver, who took his son for his first "turtle hunt".

 

Fortunately no turtle was killed that time, but problems in the Curral Velho beach remain, with turtles often disorientated from the headlights of many cars that make illegal tours in the beaches of Curral Velho and João Barrosa.  There is intense traffic of unknown origin in that area at all times of the night.

 

In Lacacão beach, the effects of the light coming from the construction site of the new hotel RIU TUAREG are noticeable, with less than 150 nests recorded so far in this beach and an average time of 2.5h of nesting time (followed by disorientation) by the females. Often these turtles need to be "rescued" from the construction site, where they get trapped, and are not able to find their own way to the sea. Falling easy prey to potential poachers living at the construction site, our teams have been doing everything they can to rescue these turtles as much as possible, and avoid the slaughtering. Lacacão remains the most problematic area, as 4 turtles were found recently killed in the construction site. On the other side, mass flooding of the beach two weeks ago by broken pipes and sewage run-off, coupled with extreme high tides have probably compromised all the nests of the season.

 

By frank zindel on 23.08.2010

Two poachers were arrested last night in the little beach of Água Doce, near Boa Esperança!!...
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By frank zindel on 05.08.2010

Its with great joy that we announce that we are already on the 3rd "Escola na Natureza" camp in boa Esperança beach, a project carried out in partnership with Clube Ambiental da Boavista, with financial support of the UN GEF Small Grants program...
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By frank zindel on 05.08.2010

É com grande alegria que anunciamos que já estamos no terceiro acampamento para jovens inserido no projecto "Escola na Natureza" na praia de Boa Esperança, um projeto realizado em parceria com o Clube Ambiental da Boavista, com o apoio financeiro do Programa das Pequenas Subvenções das Nações Unidas...
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By frank zindel on 24.07.2010

After 1 and half month delay, and too many turtles unprotected and killed because of this ridiculous situation, we have been finally granted access to our containers and thus our camp equipment, and will be able to start setting up the Curral Velho camp soon!
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By frank zindel on 14.07.2010

The Cape Verdian Sea Turtle Network had its second annual meeting on the 28-30 June, which was organized in the Hotel Marine Club in Boavista.

 

 

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By frank zindel on 12.07.2010

The first turtles arrived a few weeks ago, filling our teams with hopes and expectations of a great season. With adequate funding, a team of local assistants formed, and a dedicated group of camp coordinators, we could only hope that the season would start smoothly and without any major trouble.

However...

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By frank zindel on 10.07.2010

From the 8th until the 10th of July this year, the Turtle Foundation camp coordinators Amanda, Mafalda and Sara and our local coordinator for the village “Fundo das Figueiras” Manuel, were sent to the sea turtle camp at Ervatão beach at the east coast of Boavista, to receive additional training.

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By frank zindel on 03.07.2010

Starting this Monday the Turtle Foundation begins to open camps on the beaches of Boa Vista. The aim is to guard the main locations where the turtles make their nests, which are being threatened primarily by human hunting. Biologist Joana Hancock has been talking to “A Semana” about the experiences of protecting these ancient creatures, which existed at the time of the dinosaurs, from extinction. This includes the efforts that are being made to change the mentality of local people as well as explaining that the turtles could disappear for ever in just a few years. Over a period of four months there will be patrols on the beaches helped by soldiers from the Cape Verde Army.

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By frank zindel on 21.06.2010

Back from 2 weeks with Turtle Foundation on Boavista. 
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By frank zindel on 04.06.2010

Finally I get to come to Boavista for the first time and see the project in action that we have worked so hard to make happen.

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By frank zindel on 24.05.2010

The Turtle Foundation team has finally reunited for the start of a new season in Boavista. Expectations are high for 2010. Being back and meeting with several friends and colleagues in Boavista, it was fun to hear some comment that the turtles will arrive earlier this season, given to the very mild winter this year in Boavista, anticipating a good season. Whether or not these beliefs will prove right, being back is comforting and exciting at the same time.
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By frank zindel on 02.11.2009

November has come and turtles are virtually gone from Boavista having embarked in new adventures in their long return to their feeding grounds. On sighs with relief thinking that for now, for the next couple of years, these turtles are safe from the poachers, that they can finally roam the ocean freely, away from the pressures and tiring conditions they face on their nesting beaches. But will they? ...
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By frank zindel on 31.10.2009

Turtle Foundation Get-Together-Party in London on December 5, 2009 ...
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By frank zindel on 30.10.2009

On the 18th of October, our team went for a short visit to Varandinha beach, located on the west coast of Boavista. Preliminary data from the NGO Natura 2000 indicates that this beach was one of the most problematic ones this season for poaching ...
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By frank zindel on 29.10.2009

These last two weeks have been dedicated to GARBAGE: Turtle Foundation, worried about the amount of trash, especially plastic, littering the beaches of Boavista, initiated its awareness campaign about this problem in the schools of Boavista.
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By frank zindel on 11.10.2009

At the end of May this year when my degree course was complete, I had a choice to make; stay in my comfy-but-boring office job, or do something out of the ordinary ...
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By frank zindel on 08.10.2009

October 3rd. The end of a season. Or nearly. In this day we conducted our last night patrols. Turtles have been coming to nest irregularly, with emergences decreasing notoriously ...

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By frank zindel on 29.09.2009

It is 7:30 in the evening and everyone is ready to go, the volunteers with their sleeping bags and torches and the Cape Verdean soldiers with their AK47 rifles. Ten of us get on to or into the pick up truck and head for the beaches. . . .

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By frank zindel on 28.09.2009

The turtle is a graceful animal, startlingly large at times and the experience becomes very personal when you are the only one sitting on a star lit beach with a female turtle next to you delicately creating a nest for her young offspring. YOU are her protector, and whilst you are there with a soldier assisting you the turtle is safe from slaughter and can take her time to ensure her race has the slim opportunity of surviving into the next decade!!!

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By frank zindel on 25.09.2009

The nesting season of loggerheads in Cape Verde has not yet finished but we (Natura 2000) have analised data recorded until the begining of September and have made some predictions for the season that want to share with you. The news are really great in Boavista.
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By frank zindel on 20.09.2009

TF RELEASES JUVENILE SEA TURTLE RAISED IN CAPTIVITY

> On Friday Turtle Foundation staff, in collaboration with the Club Ambiental of Boavista and Clam Tours released a small one year old loggerhead turtle that had been raised in captivity since its early days ...

 

TF ENTLÄSST EINE JUNGE, IN GEFANGENSCHAFT GEHALTENE MEERESSCHILDKRÖTE IN DIE FREIHEIT

> Am Freitag entliessen Turtle Foundation Mitarbeiter eine kleine, etwa ein Jahr alte und seit langem in Gefangenschaft lebende Unechte Karettschildkröte in die Freiheit. Dies geschah in Zusammenarbeit mit der lokalen Umweltschutzorganisation Club Ambiental sowie dem lokalen Reiseveranstalter Clam Tours...

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By frank zindel on 04.09.2009

"WAR GAMES" 
>It's been an extremely busy season. Many reasons have led us to be quiet for several weeks, really too busy to contact with the outside world ...

>Diese Nistsaison nimmt einen ganz schön mit. Dass wir über Wochen nichts hören ließen, liegt einfach daran, dass wir total eingespannt waren und die Außenwelt nicht wie gewohnt auf dem Laufenden halten konnten ...

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By frank zindel on 03.09.2009

Volunteering in Cape Verdian islands and work with turtles was for me the first eye to eye look with the African culture and most important, a new opportunity to work with an incredible creature which exists on this planet for much longer than us ...
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By frank zindel on 03.09.2009

I was a volunteer in this great project and it was really good. It was really inspiring to work in such a passionate group ...
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By frank zindel on 13.08.2009

This is the translation (courtesy of Google Translate) of Astrid's blog entry (originally in German).  She's one of the volunteers helping to patrol the nesting beaches on Boavista to protect the turtles from poachers.
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By frank zindel on 10.08.2009

Ich liege mitten in der Nacht am Strand im weißen, warmen Sand, irgendwo auf dieser faszinierenden Insel Boavista, mit ihrer unglaublichen Landschaft, die anders ist als alles, was ich zuvor gesehen habe ...
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By frank zindel on 01.08.2009

SWEET AND SOUR
The past two weeks have been a roller-coaster of emotions, that went from deep sadness and frustration, to our first arrest! ...

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By frank zindel on 01.08.2009

80 loggerheads from Cape Verde are released in beaches of Almeria ...

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By frank zindel on 08.07.2009

Its been two weeks since we started the season, and things keep rolling here! We’re getting more turtles everynight in our beaches ...

 

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By frank zindel on 26.06.2009

Endlich ist es soweit, eines unserer Teams berichtet vom ersten geschützten Nest und der ersten nistenden Meeresschildkröte dieser Saison ...

Its official, our team has recorded the first protected nest and female of the season ...

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By frank zindel on 24.06.2009

The two individuals arrested on June 9, 2009 while attempting to sell some 20 kilograms of sea turtle meat in the city of São Filipe (Fogo island) were sentenced to eight months in prison Thursday by São Filipe court. The judge suspended their sentence, however, for three years.

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By frank zindel on 16.04.2009

Turtle Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Wildlife without Borders program ...
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By frank zindel on 10.10.2008

Die Nistsaison 2008 der Unechten Karettschildkröte auf Boavista ist zu Ende und ...

The Loggerhead nesting season on Boavista is over and ...

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By frank zindel on 29.09.2008

Gegen Ende unserer Patrouillen Arbeit war Nuno Lureiro, ein Professor aus Portugal ...

Towards the end of our patrol work of this year's nesting season we had Nuno Lureiro ...

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By frank zindel on 06.09.2008

Samstag bedeutet für uns ja mal wieder verschärfte Kontrollen an den Stränden ...

Today it's Saturday - which means for us tighter beach controls again ...

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By frank zindel on 30.08.2008

Land Unter: Auf einer Insel, die aus Wüste und Geröllfeldern besteht und auf der die Vegetation extrem karg ist ...

Flooded: Thinking of an arid, desert like island with vast dunes, one wouldn't think of what we have experienced ... 

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By frank zindel on 27.08.2008

Diese Woche ist eine Organisation aus Portugal hier auf Boavista ...

A Portuguese organization is active on Boavista this week ...

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By frank zindel on 23.08.2008

Beim letzten Wechsel der Soldaten-Gruppen ist wieder ...

This shift we have a group of soldiers ...

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By frank zindel on 21.08.2008

Wir freuen uns riesig über die finanzielle Unterstützung in der Höhe von ...

We are thrilled to announce that we have received a Disney Rapid Response Fund grant ...

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By frank zindel on 18.08.2008

Cachupa Taxi: Unser Tag beginnt wiedermal mit einem Frühstück auf unserer Dachterasse ...

Cachupa Taxi: We start our day having our breakfast on the reef-deck of our house ...

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By frank zindel on 08.08.2008

Am letzten Wochenende hatten wir Gelegenheit, mit unserem Malwettbewerb für Kinder ...

Last weekend we got the opportunity to appear before the public with our children's painting competition ...

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By frank zindel on 26.07.2008

Es ist wieder Wochenende. Für uns bedeutet das, dass wir die Sträde noch intensiver überwachen müssen ...

It's weekend again. For us this means to be even more alert on our beach patrols, because on weekends ...

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By frank zindel on 10.07.2008

Nach einem nachmittäglichen Besuch bei den Kollegen von Natura 2000 ...

After a visit to our colleagues of Natura 2000 ...

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By frank zindel on 07.07.2008

Wie jeden Tag ziehen wir gegen 17h in Richtung Fundo, um dort die Soldaten abzuholen ...

Like every day we leave Sal Rei at 5pm to Fundo in order to meet the soldiers ...

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By frank zindel on 27.06.2008

Manuel Fragoso, Norbert Hausen und Christian Roder, Mitarbeiter der Turtle Foundation auf Boavista, berichten von der Lage vor Ort.
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By frank zindel on 13.04.2008

Das Projekt wäre eigentlich startklar, es fehlen aber noch zusätzliche Mittel.
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By frank zindel on 13.04.2008

The project is under way but additional funds are needed.
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By frank zindel on 21.10.2007

The reports that on Cape Verde mother turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs are being brutally butchered were confirmed.
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By frank zindel on 20.10.2007

Berichte über grausame Schlachtungen von Meeresschildkröten, die auf den Kapverden zur Eiablage an Land kommen, haben sich bestätigt.
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By frank zindel on 19.10.2007

The shocking news about turtles being butchered brutally on Cape Verde's beaches were confirmed.
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By frank zindel on 03.08.2007

Auf den Kapverden werden Meeresschildkröten, die zur Eiablage an den Strand kommen, an Ort und Stelle äusserst brutal geschlachtet.
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By frank zindel on 23.07.2007

Wenn Meeresschildkröten in den Kapverden zur Eiablage an den Strand kommen, warten ihre Schlächter schon ungeduldig. Aus finanziellen Gründen können lokale Schutzorganisationen nur eingeschränkte Patrouillen durchführen, weshalb in der Nistsaison dieses Jahres das Blutbad an den Stränden noch grösser ist, als in den vorangegangenen Jahren.
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By frank zindel on 23.06.2007

In Cape Verde turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs are still being butchered on their way up to the beach. Due to less patrolling by the local organizations because of insufficient funding the beaches are even more blood-stained then the years before.
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By frank zindel on 15.06.2007

Turtles coming ashore on Cape Verde to lay their eggs were being butchered on the beaches most brutally and in great numbers.
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