As a child, my parents took me to see the leatherback turtles on Matura beach in my homeland of Trinidad. It was an experience that has traveled with me through all my years. I would recant my adventures to my husband over and over again about the times when I was a wee little thing running along the beach with my older brother stopping to watch these majestic creatures come ashore to lay their eggs at night.
After over 20 years of stories and memories, I finally arranged the trip of a lifetime for myself and my husband. I was going to share an experience with him that would change his life and alter his view on what people can be capable of.
This is my gal, Lulu. I named her Lulu because she hangs out in the red light district of Matura Beach in Trinidad. Lulu came ashore to lay her 80-120 eggs in hopes of them hatching and coming back to Matura with eggs of their own. You see, leatherback turtles come back to the same beach they were born on to nest, if they make it to adulthood that is. That means that Lulu was born here and returned to her familiar spot to lay her eggs.
The only way to see the leatherback turtles in Trinidad is with a licensed guide. Back in my youth, you could just mosey on over and walk along the beach for viewing. Not anymore!!! You need to purchase a license and come out here with an official guide. The fine for not complying with this is great and can also involve jail time. Why the sudden change to such strict rules? Well, leatherback turtles are highly endangered. They face many predators such as opossums, dogs, birds, and many sea creatures as well. The most deadly though is man. People think they are cute and pick them up, disorienting them from getting to the sea. Lights distract these 1000 pound mamas from coming ashore and laying their eggs. The red lights we used were safe though. A turtle has a 5 day period to lay or her eggs are let go in the sea and it is a wasted clutch. Fishermen hack up these beautiful creatures for bait, even the babies. Ignorant people chop them up for stews and soups. The females get caught in nets on their way to shore to lay. This breaks my heart. All they want to do is come to shore, lay their eggs, and head back to sea.
Conservation of this extraordinary giant is necessary if we want future generations to have the chance of enjoying these amazing creatures in nature. Educating people and putting laws into place (and enforcing these laws) will keep these creatures safe from human hands. These giants have inhabited the earth for millions of years, for humans to wipe them out as bait or soup makes me sick to my stomach. Protecting nature should be a priority so that you can one day bring your spouse or kids or grandkids to see the leatherback turtles of Matura Beach in Trinidad.
1 in every 1000 eggs make it to adulthood. Lulu is that 1! Ain’t she a beauty!?! :)
Small side note: No turtles were harmed in the making of this post :) Turtles go into a trance when laying eggs. They don’t see you at all or feel you touching them. The only time that the guides allow you to touch or even get near the turtles is when she is actively laying and in the trance. Even then, you should not approach the turtles from the front (head) and you should not flash bright lights at them.
Details for Leatherback Turtle Viewing in Trinidad & Tobago
Nature Seekers
Toco Main Road
Trinidad and Tobago
868-668-7337
natureseekers.org
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Wow man, this is something really interesting.
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Wow! The leatherback turtles are so big, I’ve only ever seen the Olive Ridley sea turtles and they’re not quite as big as these guys. It’s such an amazing experience to see the moms come and lay their eggs, unforgettable!
What an incredible experience! I agree with you, protecting these animals is critical. With more of these programs happening, hopefully they will be around for generations to come.
I had no idea that turtles go into a trance when laying eggs, thanks for the interesting fact.
What an amazing thing to have witnessed first hand. I’ve never visited Trinidad myself but, I would definitely want to visit during this time period.
Amazing! What a great opportunity for great pictures!
Wow what a cool experience. They’re huge! And that’s so neat that they return to the place they were born to lay their own eggs.
This is SO. COOL! I saw my first turtle while snorkeling in St. John in April and I’m still talking about it!
Lauren,
Witnessing the turtles lay eggs is a wonderful and powerful event. When we lived in West Palm Beach I had a store in Vero Beach, if I am not incorrect. We had to turn the floodlights around and point them inland during the egg laying season so as to not scare the Turtles. It was my first exposure and I went crazy when I saw them actually digging, laying and covering up the eggs. It was fascinating. Thanks for bringing back this memory young lady!
Mike
I know a lot of people might say “hire a guide! Crazy! Back when i was a kid you could just…..” but the world has changed a lot since we were kids and sometimes its for the better. Supporting conservation efforts by hiring a licensed guide is great for the environment AND for the local economy – and it gives visitors a more memorable and moving experience. A triple win if you ask me. As always, thank you for highlighting incredible conservation projects.
Lauren- Such a beauiful experience. I’m glad that these turtles have knowledgable guides managing the visitors to keep them safe.
Wow! How cool is that! I love turtles and it’s always sad to hear stories of them getting caught and being eaten :(
This is definitely a great way to keep them from being endangered and aren’t they just the most lovely creature?!
TURTLES! It really is a great sight to watch them throughout their whole process. Great night sky shot btw!
Being able to witness something so moving in an up-close manner is momentous!
So cool! I used to work at an aquarium when I was younger and have always wanted to do this, thanks for sharing your story!
This is got to be an absolutely amazing experience to witness in person.
Jennifer, It was truly wonderful, words and photos can only begin to describe it.
What beautiful animals and a memorable experience! I’m glad you got to see them again, and chose to work with a responsible organization that is working to protect them.
What an amazing experience! We got to see the leatherback turtles when we were in Costa Rica, but we weren’t able to get very close to them and we weren’t allowed to take photographs. Still, it was an amazing sight – especially to see the sheer size of the turtles! Great to see the conservation efforts in Trinidad.
Such amazing photos of a great experience. It’s definitely a dream of ours to do something like this.