Sea turtles are some of the most wonderful animals you can see in action in the wild, as you are able to get up close to them and observe various stages of their life cycle without disturbing them. The most obvious way is to grab your snorkel set and swim with them. The Green Sea Turtles are relatively easy to find as they tend to live in shallow lagoons. Sea turtles also nest on land, favouring particular beaches to bury their eggs and then leave them to hatch themselves a couple of months later. This gives you the opportunity to observe them at close quarters and watch their fascinating behaviour.
The Leatherback Sea Turtle is the largest sea turtle, the heaviest recorded weighing an astronomical 916 kg, and nests on beaches all around the world. Like most turtles they are a protected species with the Leatherback on the brink of extinction, and many countries use revenue from tourism to help protect their nesting sites. Here then, are some great places to see this fabulous animal:
- Grand Riviere, Trinidad and Tobago has Leatherbacks nesting from March until August, with the hatchlings popping out between May and September. You can gain access to the beach to watch the action up close. The video is of a Leatherback at Grand Riviere. As the beach is only a mile long you will have no trouble finding turtles to watch.
- Mayumba National Park, Gabon has a 60 kilometer beach which hosts nesting turtles between November and February. The young dig their way out in to the open between January and April. This national park has lots of other animals including Forest Elephants making for a potentially amazing wildlife experience!
- Plage des Hattes in French Guiana is the world’s largest nesting site for Leatherbacks, with about half the world’s population nesting there. It is right at the northern point of the country, near Yalimapo, and the turtles will nest between April and July, with the young appearing between July and September.
- Parismina in Costa Rica has four species of turtle using its beaches as a nesting site. The Leatherbacks can be seen between February and August. You can only get to this idyllic spot by boat or plane, so a unique experience awaits!
As mentioned the Leatherback is endangered, please visit the Leatherback Trust site for further information.
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