The Herrera film
In 1880 Samuel Garman reported a new species of sea turtle he called Thalassochelys kempii (now called Lepidochelys kempii). A fisherman from Florida named Richard M. Kemp had brought Garman two specimens of a turtle known as the "bastard" turtle because it was thought by locals to be a cross between a loggerhead and green sea ; Garman decided that "in consideration of the great interest Mr. Kemp takes in matters pertaining to natural history, it is most appropriate that the species he has been the means of bringing into notice should bear his name" and thus gave this newly described species the common name of "Kemp's Gulf Turtle". The current generally accepted English common name is "Kemp's ridley"; and it is "tortuga lora" in Garman, from ;Kemp noted to Garman that "The Bastard Turtle are ; We know that they come on the beach to lay in the months…
Son Jarocho
The state of Veracruz has a centuries old rich multi-cultural history with European influence going back to the first Spanish explorations of the Central America. Founded in 1519 by Cortez as "Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz" ( the rich village of the true cross), the city of Veracruz was the major Spanish port in Central America for centuries and it was through this city that nearly all Atlantic commerce flowed. Because of this, Veracruz has strong Caribbean, European, and African influences that combine with its indigenous traditions to create a unique culture. This amalgam is easily seen in the music of Veracruz, son jarocho. It is characterized by the arpa jarocho (a style of harp particular to the region), the jarana (a small instrument that, to me, appears to be a cross between a mandolin, ukelele and banjo - it has 8 strings in 5 courses and has an…
Lonely Planet’s Top 10 countries to visit in 2014
Number 6? Mexico!
Ancient Cultures
Veracruz is home to an impressive UNESCO World Heritage Site. El Tajín was a flourishing city by 600 CE and was home to approximately 50 different ; The city is believed to span at least 2,500 acres, only about 50% of which has been ; There have been residences, governmental offices, seventeen ball courts, and many other buildings unearthed representing a sprawling city of nearly 100,000 residents at its ; The most well known of the buildings is the Pyramid of the Niches, pictured ; They pyramid has 365 niches, thought to represent the solar ; It isn't clear exactly who built the pyramid but the Totonac and Huasteca people are thought to be the most ; The Totonac people are well known for their association with the Danza de los Voladores, an ancient ritual that was once widespread in ; Famed Mexican muralist, Diego Rivera, depicted the Voladores…
It is easy to find Tecolutla
View Larger MapTecolutla is a small town about 85km south of Laguna de Tamiahua, which is formed by that prominent bit of land jutting out into the Gulf of ; The lagoon averages about 2-3m deep and is approximately 85km in ; Its big. So, when you are looking at a map of the Gulf, simply find that prominence and move down just a little. Laguna de Tamiahua is enclosed by the barrier island Cabo ; This feature is usually considered the northern most point of the Bay of ; Nearby is the small island of Isla ; Surrounded by a reef system, this island is a popular diving beautiful both by land and by sea as you can see in the following videos.
Testing the new blog and a taste of what’s to come.
This is the mural on the wall that greets us when we arrive at the campamento in many Mexican students, a trip here will be their first encounter with a sea ; The many volunteers at Vida Milenaria make sure its a positive one. A young girl prepares to release a hatchling at Vida Milenaria. As we start making preparations for our trip to Mexico, I will start posting information, reminders and teaser photos of what we will ; As we get closer, I will give everyone the option to post on here as ; It will be an easy to find, central repository that is dedicated to our work at Tecolutla and will provide your families with a quick way to check up on ; I will eventually make all of you "contributors" so that you too may post images, messages, or ; Google provides apps for your smartphone to…