Can turtle eggs be transferred and incubated on other islands to establish new nesting colonies?
Eggs can be incubated on other islands, but it will take another 40 years before we can expect one of the offspring to return and nest. Because of this long time lag, we cannot be certain that a new ‘nesting colony’ can be established. However, there is evidence from a similar effort in Texas, USA, that turtle eggs which originated in Mexico but which were incubated in Texas are now returning to Texas waters, some 38 years later. These results should be treated with caution, however, as we still have no information on the longevity or viability of these returning juveniles.
