Since the City Government of Santo Domingo remodeled the sea-front park at Guibia, the area has become very popular with city residents, with hundreds of visits every day. But on Friday, 30 August the beach area of the park received a most unusual visitor. Guiby, the Eretmochelysimbricata turtle was back to lay her eggs. Several conscious citizens, noticing the eggs on the beach, called the Ministry of Environment, and they promptly arrived to safeguard the eggs. As reported by the Presidency, unfortunately the turtle’s eggs are falsely considered “potent aphrodisiacs” which has almost led to its extinction.
Experts from the Ministry of Environment, Grupo Jaragua and Intec University took Guiby’s eggs to the National Aquarium for incubation. Brothers Miguel and Claudio Martinez Frias, Police First Lieutenant Ramirez Morillo Morillo and Police Sergeant Franklin Chalas are credited with alerting the authorities.
When the biologists arrived, Guiby had already returned to high seas, leaving behind 215 eggs. They suspect the turtle is over 40 years old, and thus say that Guiby is part of the heritage of the city of Santo Domingo. By instinct, this kind of turtle will always return to her place of birth to lay the eggs.
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