First record of loggerhead sea turtles caretta caretta in sebastián vizcaíno bay, baja california peninsula, mexico

Abstract

The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is an endangered species which distributes around the west coast of the Baja California Peninsula. In Baja California Sur, the conservation efforts for this species were focused in the Gulf of Ulloa; however, within the Pacific coast of the Baja California Peninsula, Sebastián Vizcaíno Bay (SVB) biological active center suit the optimal conditions for the presence of loggerheads. This study aimed to investigate SVB as a potential foraging area for loggerheads. Between July and August 2018, three prospective surveys were conducted, in search of marine turtles in SVB. A total of three loggerhead turtles and one eastern Pacific green turtle (Chelonia mydas) were captured; biometric data were recorded, and organisms were classified as juveniles. This is the first report of the loggerhead sea turtles in the SVB and given the oceanographic characteristics of the bay, it is a potential foraging and development area for the species.