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Turtugaruba Update: Sea Turtle Nesting Season is Underway

eco tourism aruba

Author: Turtugaruba

UPDATED on March 6, 2023

Sea turtle nesting season 2023 has begun; the first nest was laid last week at Eagle Beach by a Leatherback sea turtle.

Leatherback sea turtles that nest in Aruba do not live in the Caribbean Sea, but in the Atlantic Ocean. When a Leatherback female is mature (after 20 – 30 years) she returns to her natal beach to lay eggs during the nesting season (March to July). A Leatherback lays an average of seven nests per season. After the last clutch she leaves again for the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean where she will stay for two or three years before returning for another season.

Leatherbacks and all sea turtle species are endangered species worldwide and need our protection.

eco tourism aruba

Like every year, nests from 2021 are marked with DOW’s well-known red and white barricades. The nest can hatch after 60 to 70 days of incubation. At the moment our beaches are quiet, but what will the situation be like in two months? Full of people and more light at night?

Artificial light and sea turtles do not go well together. The adult sea turtles feel frightened by artificial light, causing them to not come up the beach far enough to find a good nesting place. If a sea turtle is disturbed during multiple nesting attempts, she might even give up and drop the eggs into the sea.

When a nest hatches in the evening after two months, the little hatchlings are attracted to artificial light, and they will not reach the sea on their own due to disorientation.

 What to do to protect the sea turtles?

When you see a sea turtle that comes / is ashore to nest:

  • Contact Turtugaruba immediately(Turtle Hotline +297 5929393)
  • Do not approach the sea turtle, but keep a distance (at least 15 meters).
  • Do not use any kind of light, such as a flashlight, flash camera or phone screen. Turn off all lights in the area and never direct light towards a sea turtle.
  • Limit movement and noise around the sea turtle to prevent distraction.
  • Make sure that the sea turtle can return to the sea undisturbed after nesting, do not stand between the sea turtle and the sea.
  • The total nesting process takes an average of 2 hours.

For more information, please contact Turtugaruba:

TURTLE-HOTLINE: + 297 5929393    E-mail : [email protected]  Facebook

 

 

 

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