Centerpiece

Traditional Baja taste devastates sea turtle

Mexico

Preparations for the meal start at 7 a.m. A fisherman pulls up to the one-story stucco restaurant in his Chevrolet Camaro and opens the trunk. Inside, a 100-pound (45-kg) green turtle lies dormant next to some oilcans and a spare tire. Its mouth bubbles with foam and mucous. Out of the ocean for the past two days, the reptile is slowly drying out. The fisherman and the restaurant owner agree on a price: 400 pesos, or about $45. So with some help, they lug the turtle into a back room and dump it on a dirt floor. Over the next hour, the turtle is butchered and gutted on a concrete patio. It’s a bloody affair, and it takes a powerful hose and... [Log in to read more]

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