Turtle watching in March

[Romana]

Hi, planning a trip to Tobago with husband and others. Our trip is scheduled for March 4-7 and was wondering if we would be able to see any turtles?

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Romana

Welcome aboard!

I'm afraid you're probably going to be dissapointed in early March. Of course you can see sea turtles all year round, but the Giant Leatherbacks tend to come ashore, along the Caribbean coast, a little later. Fingers crossed, its not beyound the bounds of possibility I guess.

[Chris Cross]

Hi,

better Time for watching turtles is End of May / June, I think...

I wonder when they slip out of the eggs... Sept.?

[Bryan Guignard]

I did the turtle watch thing in Trinidad last year at Matura beach. Absolutely AWESOME experience. We saw 4 leatherbacks in 2 hours! Our guide told us the following factoids, "The leatherback will begin to lay eggs at the age of 25 years. Egg laying happens 5 to 7 times over several months. Each time she will lay 80 to 100 eggs in the cool sand. They will lay eggs every 2 or 3 years. Eggs average 2 in. diameter. Hatching occurs about 60 days later."

[Mandy H]

Hi!

I am just back from my first trip to Tobago (and will be posting suggestions reviews etc soon Steve!) and can report that the leatherbacks are already around.

Between the 16th and 30th of March my boyfriend and I were lucky enough to see three leatherbacks laying their eggs on turtle beach - we were staying at Birdies Nest, and the turtles were between there and the Rex.

The first time only the two of us were there, the 2nd time some idiots staying at the Rex Turtle beach were so close to the turtle that she turned round and didn't lay her eggs, which was sad to see. The third time there were four other people there, who were all considerate and security from the Rex called the turtle watch people.

So just have a wander up the beach - we did it at about 11.30pm/12.30am and were very very lucky.

Mandy

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Mandy

Yes, the Leatherbacks are breeding early this year. The first nesting took place exceptionally early last December, with the resultant hatchlings heading for the sea in late February.

A really top contact when it comes to turtles (and most other conservation matters) is tour guide Peter Cox. We spent a morning with him just a couple of weeks ago. He took us to a nest on Turtle Beach that he had been guarding. Visitors at the Rex had reported seeing pot hounds (beach dogs) scratching away trying to dig the eggs up, so he had had to go out to the beach in the early hours to scare them away and re-cover the nest. Fortunately the eggs were deep and there was no evidence that the dogs had got any. The security guards at the Rex are really good and keep an eye out for any/all activity on the beach and always notify Peter and/or the SOS turtle group. We only had three nights to go, but were really hoping that the eggs would hatch before we left. Peter promised to give us a call, whatever the time - but it just didn't happen. I've never seen the hatchlings making their way down the beach and was really hoping.

[Syd]

Mandy,
Your report sounds fantastic. It would really make our holiday if we managed to sight a turtle. We are going out for two weeks from 13th April and also staying at Birdies Nest. How did you find your hosts and accommodation? We have booked the 2 bed apartment on the first floor.
Syd.

[Sam M]

I am visting Tobago for the first time end of May and staying at Crown Point. Will there be any chance of seeing the turtles at this time and if so is there someone that organises the trip???

[Steve Wooler]

Hello Sam

Welcome aboard!

Yes, that's right in the middle of the normal breeding season, so there's every chance. However, not in Crown Point. Courland Bay on the Caribbean Coast - about 20 minutes drive from Crown Point - is the main area. There are no organised tours, as such. A good start is the weekly talks on the subject given by tour guide Peter Cox at the Rex Turtle Beach hotel. These are open to the public. I'm not sure what days they run, but once you're on the island, I would suggest you ring the Rex and ask. I believe they operate a system whereby interested visitors will be notified when Leatherbacks come ashore or there is turtle activity.

[Mandy H]

Hi Syd - apologies for not replying sooner....have been busy at work, and haven't had time to log on! You will be in Tobago as I type, so if you read this on your return, I hope you had a great time at Birdies. I'm sure you will have found Prince and his mum excellent hosts, and I hope you too managed to see turtles - they truly look like the last dinosaurs on earth.

Steve - thanks for the reply.....we made friends with a beach dog outside Birdies (seriously thought about bringing him home, but we currently live in a top floor flat, so wrong timing for us) and one night he followed us up the beach when we were going to see the turtles. He sat so well behaved, and just seemed a bit perplexed about what on earth he was watching!! I know the majority of beach dogs will be a huge problem to the turtle eggs, but there are a couple of well behaved dogs - or maybe we just trained him well in our two weeks!!