By Redação PortalPortuario
The Santos Port Authority (APS) is monitoring the presence of sea turtles in the Port of Santos and supporting their conservation.
The action is part of a subprogram dedicated to monitoring the species and is included in the environmental initiatives conducted by the company, as stipulated by Operating License No. /17 from the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama).
Under the coordination of the APS Environmental Department, the activity monitors six points weekly within a perimeter that extends from Barnabé Island, in Santos, to Palmas Island, in Guarujá.
Since January 2021, the initiative has already recorded more than 540 turtle sightings. In 2025, 222 were recorded, with a focus on Ponta da Praia and Palmas Island. In addition to the green turtle, the subprogram also recorded the presence of the hawksbill turtle.
The records also indicate the existence of three other species in the waters of the Baixada Santista and the São Paulo coast, although rarer and with no recent sightings in the port region. These animals are the Caretta caretta (loggerhead turtle), the Lepidochelys olivacea (olive ridley turtle), and the Dermochelys coriacea (leatherback turtle).
Thiago Mace, a biologist at the Santos Port Authority (APS), commented: “In the case of turtles, we want to ensure that port operations do not reduce the local population. In addition to being a requirement of the Port Operating License, it is rewarding to be able to contribute to the understanding of their habits and to the preservation of biodiversity in the port area.”
The Santos Port Authority has also adopted other strategies to protect marine life. One of them is that the maintenance dredging of the channel includes turtle deflectors, which act as a physical and sensory barrier for the animals and prevent incidents.
This technology uses flexible chains positioned in front of the dredge arm, which oscillate and gently move the area ahead of the dredging, keeping the animals away from the work zone.
