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Mass Mortality of Sharpnose Pufferfish and Turtles

by | Apr 24, 2023 | Local News, Nature

Sea Turtle on Bonaire_Photo by Tanya Deen

Help us save the sea turtles.

Recently, there have been reports of mass mortality on Bonaire involving Sharpnose pufferfish. It appears that an abundance of pufferfish larvae settled on Bonaire several months ago and was left with too few resources and too much competition. This led to a recent population crash. Environmental factors or disease outbreaks may have also contributed to this event, which is being investigated. 

The sharpnose puffers are toxic, and it’s possible that other fish, sea turtles, lionfish, and crabs may have preyed on the dead puffers, causing secondary mortality events among those predators. As a result, there have been reports of dead fish and sea turtles. Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB) is working very hard to care for these diseased sea turtles in hopes of saving them.

Please note: There is no connection between this event and the coral disease and it is not harmful to people.

What to do if you encounter a sea turtle.

If you see floating sea turtles in the sea report it immediately to the STCB hotline: +599-780- 0433

  • If alive, please firmly grab the sea turtle behind the fins and put a wet towel over it until STCB arrives.
  • If deceased, please put in a bag until STCB arrives.

If you find dead sharpnose pufferfish, please remove them from the ocean if possible.

 

(Source: STCB, STINAPA)

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Tanya Deen has been living in Bonaire since December 2016. She is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Instructor and enjoys underwater and bird photography. Tanya is the Editor-in-Chief of the Bonaire Insider tourism news blog.
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