By Joana Hancock
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.
With the plans of two large beach camps,
planned for Boa Esperança and Curral Velho/Lacacão beaches, and the
continuation of the protection of Canto and Norte beaches, this season will be
extremely challenging, in several ways. To help us, we welcomed the arrival of
a new team member, who will join us for the summer as a general assistant.
Originally from Fogo island, Euclides (best known as Ukie), and working
part-time as a guide for Vista Verde, will be a great asset for the team.
Our first field visit was to Boa Esperança
beach. The smell of the dead turtles is gone, only old carapaces seem to
prevail from the deadly season of 2009.
Looking at this scenery, one can only hope that these carapaces will
only represent sad memories, and an inspiration to do a good job this year on this
abandoned beach.
On another note, and still in Boa Esperança
beach, another sad memory is the plastic bags collected in a beach clean-up
campaign organized in July 2009 with over 100 people participating. Promises by
the Camara Municipal to pick up this trash the day after the campaign were
forgotten. Now, 10 months later, not only the plastic bags are still there, but
they are ripped and destroyed, with all their contents littering the beach that
was once clean.
This is Boavista.
The beautiful island where dust and
“morabezza” fill the air along with empty promises but also hope of better
days. And many turtles.