Cozumel News August 11th, 2014: Turtle Trouble caused by the heat, Part Two of the Cozumel Economy, Cost of Living in Mexico, New to Volunteer & Donate: Juan Pablo II Senior Home and Friends of Cozumel. Remember The Cozumel Sun is not just news, there is a wealth of information for you to explore at. www.thecozumelsun.com.
Turtle Trouble
The breeding season of marine turtles in Cozumel, is altered due the high summer temperatures. The situation worries the various sectors that protect these endangered turtles.*
The effect of the heat wave on spawning is more noticeable with green turtle, because this species makes the nests deeper in the sand. The temperatures play an important role in the spawned eggs, because they influence the sex of the turtles. To date, 1,292 nests have been identified, 67.7% below the numbers obtained last year when more than four thousand nests were recorded in the same period.
According to reports from The Foundation for the Conservation of Turtles, among the eight species of sea turtles that live in our planet, seven reach the Mexican coast in the Caribbean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico. In Cozumel, the Island of the Swallows, three species arrive, hawksbill, white and loggerhead; the latter two have the process of spawning on the east coast. Cozumel is a city that is recognized as number one nationally for educational programs and conservation of this species. Cozumel Township is also a millionaire in marine life due to the number of species that can be found in its waters, especially in the 22 miles of beach and sand in the eastern part of the island.
Since the 90’s, the arrival of the turtles and the nesting process has been recorded from May until the end of November. As a result of this data collection year after year, came the formation of the first prevention and conservation committees for these endangered species.
Along this 22 kilometer beautiful stretch of beaches, four beaches (Chiqueros, Buena Vista, Box and Punta Morena)have dunes, a feature that makes them unique and appropriate for spawning eggs that usually takes place at night.
The arrival and nesting sea turtles are one of the riches natural resources of the island, but it was not until a few years ago that the word spread to introduce it as an attraction of the island.
Cozumel’s Sea Turtle Species:
For over a decade, the three species are sighted in the eastern part of the island, but only two do so for their reproduction process; loggerhead and green.
The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is identified more easily by the hardness of shell or not, which has overlapping shields, i.e. that shields each other and live in reef areas, feeding on sponges that allow them to reach a weight of up to 60 kg in adulthood, said Mena Vega.
The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) is identified as having the biggest head in accordance with the body that feeds on both crustaceans, mollusks and allow them to have a weight of 180 kilograms.
The third is white, green, or black turtle (Chelonia mydas). In the case of the green turtle, is characteristic for the various shades of green in its shell and unlike the loggerhead, this has the smaller head compared the body, feeding on algae, which plays an important role in sea grass areas that allow you to reach weights of over 230 kilograms.
The program for the Protection of Sea Turtles, was formed in 1993 in order to raise awareness of the importance of this species, highlighting the turtle is in danger of extinction. Turtles are protected by federal government, any unlawful action, sale or consumption of eggs, hunting or fishing, can be punished with up to six years in prison.
The main predator that turtles face is man. There are other predators such as dwarf raccoon, endemic to the island, feral dogs and birds of prey. Nowadays the chelonians face another complicated situation for reproduction, the accumulation of human waste on the beaches and the climate change.
* Sentence removed “Cozumel is the only Caribbean Island to have three Turtles Species Nest” , St. Croix, US Virgin Islands is home to four turtle species leatherback, hawkbill, green, and loggerhead.
The Cost of Living in Mexico
I have written this two part section to introduce the need for all of us to do our part in giving back to the community we live in. This information will be the introduction to my new section, Volunteer & Donate. I have heard residents and tourists make the comment, “They think I am rich!” Guess what, you are by their standards. No matter how small your monthly pension is, it is a fortune to the average Mexican family. There is no minimum hourly wage, there is a daily minimum of wage of $63.77 Mexican Pesos for a full day of work. At an exchange rate of 12.50, this comes to $5.10 cents per day. If you are a “legal” employee, your employer is paying into social security for you and you are enrolled in either the social security (IMSS) or another federally operated health plan. (That is another story!)Your work day is 8 hours if by day 7.5 hours if a night shift. If you are lucky enough to hold one of these contracted jobs, chances are you are working a second job to help make ends meet.
In Cozumel, the hiring stops at 35 years of age, there is no law against age discrimination. I am certain this is tied to the fact that the insurance required by law is based on age, the older you are, the higher the premium. This is why you see seniors at the grocery stores working for TIPS ONLY; and parking attendants and people offering to help carry the groceries are also there working for TIPS ONLY. You will see children in their school uniforms also working for tips.
There is an army of workers that are not contracted by anyone. Desperate to find employment, they work for less than the minimum wage, for longer hours, and some for tips only. These people have no health coverage or social security when they get older. These people are also the entrepreneurs you see selling anything they can think of to make a living.The Mexican people are the hardest working people that I know.
In the August 6th issue of the Cozumel Sun, we reported the average daily wage of a General Worker is $63.77 per day. They get paid twice per month so let’s say $638 pesos every 15th and thirtieth of the month. I went on line and found information on the average cost and price range for food and living expenses.
Based on a recommended diet of 2,000 calories, the cost of food alone would be $75.26 pesos per day. So much for eating a balanced meal! Utilities average from $500-$1,300 pesos per month. A one bedroom apartment runs $2,700 – $6,000 pesos per month. See what I mean? I have provided the line item breakdown for groceries and other expenses at: https://www.thecozumelsun.com/volunteer-donate/
Volunteer & Donate
New Sections in Volunteer and Donate: Juan Pablo II Senior Home, and Friends of Cozumel that just distributed backpacks full of school supplies and fitted shoes to 300 Cozumel Children.
If you have not already done so, check out: Cozumel CAM School for Disabled Children, The Cozumel Sea Turtle Rescue Program, The Humane Society of Cozumel, Rancho Universo Horse Sanctuary and Horse Therapy Centre, The Cozumel Blood Drive, and the Three Kings Day Toy Drive.
Note: If you are headed to Cozumel on vacation, or are returning to Cozumel from vacationing in the United States, check out the wish lists of the various non-profit organizations. Many of the items are not available in Cozumel and almost always, the items that are available are extremely expensive here due to the high cost of transporting goods to the island.
If you are already part of one of these wonderful organizations, please proof the information that I have taken from your website and Facebook page. Please contact me with any changes and updates. I am a one-woman operation and really need your help in order to provide my readers with the most current information available. Thank you for your assistance!
Cozumel Event Calendar 2014
SEA TURTLE RESCUE
MR. SANCHO´S TRIATHLON AUGUST 24TH
MÉXICO INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION SEPTEMBER 15TH -16TH
FIESTAS DE SAN MIGUEL ARCHANGEL SEPTEMBER 20TH – 29TH
IRONMAN 70.3 SEPTEMBER 21ST
WORLD TOURISM DAY SEPTEMBER 27TH – 28TH
