It’s Sea Turtle Season on the Island!

Say hello to Nora!  She is a hawksbill sea turtle that is a prolific egg layer and has been nesting on our island for many years now 🙂   Learn more on how you can help save our sea turtles below!

Turtle Patrol and Nesting Data Collection | May – September

Volunteers on “turtle patrol” play a crucial role in the conservation efforts on our Caribbean island in Belize, keeping watch during the night hours for the arrival of nesting sea turtles. As these creatures approach the island to lay their eggs, the volunteers remain vigilant, monitoring the shoreline for any signs of movement. Once a mother turtle comes ashore, the volunteers promptly notify the managers or program staff, who then follow established protocols to ensure the process is carried out safely and efficiently.

As the turtle lays her eggs, volunteers carefully count the number of eggs, recording this vital data. They also collect key information about the mother turtle herself, such as her size, the number of barnacles on her shell, the pattern of their distribution, and her behavior throughout the nesting process. These data points are essential for tracking the health and habits of the turtle population.

This information is compared with previous years’ data on nesting turtles, helping our conservation team monitor trends, understand turtle behaviors, and assess the success of ongoing conservation efforts. Turtle patrol is vital to protecting these endangered creatures and ensuring the long-term success of nesting sea turtles on the island.

A special thanks to our recent volunteers giving Nora a helping hand!!