Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/4720/-1/140/
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Sea Turtle Nesting At Captain's Bay
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To the amazement and enjoyment of a few fortunate sun bathers, a huge leatherback turtle appeared at Captain’s Bay beach last week. To most of the visitors on the beach, this was the first time that they had ever seen this magnificent prehistoric animal. But for a lucky few, this was actually the second time in a week that they had seen a leatherback turtle nest on Captain’s Bay.
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The leatherback turtle at Captain’s Bay beach
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After about thirty minutes of digging, the sea turtle had laid 80 to 90 eggs and an hour later, she had finished covering the eggs with sand and camouflaging the nest. And it was all over. The huge animal returned to the sea and swam gracefully away along the western coast. Before returning to the water, however, Officers of the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources (DFMR) were on hand to tag and measure the turtle. Measuring over a metre and a half in length, the leatherback turtle was an impressive sight. Many of the visitors present also took several photos and video footage which will undoubtedly make for a memorable vacation talking point when they return to their respective homelands.
In a related matter, reports coming out of St. Croix, USVI, indicate that a leatherback turtle tagged by our DFMR and volunteers on the same beach, in May of 2005, had recently been seen nesting on a beach in St. Croix. It was the presence of the tags that enabled officials in the USVI to determine that the sea turtle was tagged in Anguilla. This confirms that the tagging programme being implemented by the DFMR is in fact contributing significantly to the understanding of sea turtle migration behaviour in the region. The tagging programme also shows that the countries in the region are sharing the same sea turtle populations and that the moratorium on the taking of turtles in Anguilla is contributing to the protection of sea turtles at both the national and regional levels.
The DFMR is grateful to the person who reported the emergence of the nesting sea turtle at Captain’s Bay. Anguillians and visitors alike are encouraged to call the DFMR at 497 2871 or email
fisheriesmr@gov.aito report all sea turtle nesting activities.