Quake destroys 45T turtle eggs

Aug. 26 tremor in the Pacific Ocean also injured three persons who tried to rescue endangered reptiles’ eggs

SAN SALVADOR—Wildlife authorities say a strong earthquake in the Pacific Ocean last Aug. 26 destroyed more than 45,000 endangered sea turtle eggs on the coast of El Salvador.

The director of the turtle conservation program for the El Sal- vador Zoological Foundation said the 7.4-magnitude undersea quake sent at least three waves of about 30 feet high on the beach and destroyed nests and just-hatched turtles. It also washed up on about 150 people collecting eggs in order to protect them in special pens hundreds of feet up the beach. The waves injured three.

Program director Emilio Leon said that in the last year and a half the foundation has successfully hatched and released 700,000 turtles from four species at risk of extinction.