Estimación del área y el número máximo de turistas para observar la anidación de tortugas marinas protegidas

Abstract

Protected areas tend to preserve conserved ecosystems and constitute a focus of high attraction for tourism. For both reasons, it is essential to regulate their visitation through management tools. In this study, a methodology was developed to estimate the area of responsible observation of sea turtles by tourists during their nesting process in marine-coastal protected areas, using the Camaronal National Wildlife Refuge as an application site. This methodology uses variables related to olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) nesting behavior in order to determine the area and number of observers recommended under certain space limitations and considering the turtle arrivals recorded during the 2013-2015 period. In those three years, 15515 olive ridley turtle arrivals were recorded in relation to the lunar phases; the highest number of arrivals occurred during the waning quarter of the moon. The proposed area to observe sea turtles at the Camaronal site was 51.4 m2 and the area to observe a sea turtle corresponds to a circle of ~500 m2 in tour groups of 10 people maximum. Respecting the suggested group size would not significantly alter nesting behavior. The refuge has L. olivacea as one of its conservation objectives, so the preservation of this species should be a priority.