This Endangered Turtle Species Hatched in Record Numbers – Thanks to Corona

Thanks to dedicated efforts and less human activity during the coronavirus pandemic, an endangered turtle species have hatched in record numbers in Mexico.

“This year has been one of the hardest for our community. The pandemic brought sickness and death to our people, and complicated the economic situation here,” says group coordinator Mayra Estrella Astorga. “That’s why we are so happy that, in the middle of this tragedy, this miracle of nature happened — as a result of fewer fishing boats and tourists, but also through the efforts of the community.”

This year, the conservation group Tortugueros del Desemboque released more than 2,250 baby Olive Ridley, the most abundant sea turtle in the world, in the Gulf of California, instead of the usual 500 to 1,000, helping to save the species from extinction.