TT and on

We arrived safely in Trinidad and spent a couple of days traveling the island and seeing the sights including the Pitch lake where most of the world's asphalt comes from and the Caroni Swamp with the magnificent red ibis birds nesting and roosting for the night. The highlight however was a night excursion to Matura bay to see the Leatherback Turtles laying their eggs on the sand. What an experience, dark listening to the waves and watching in the dark for the huge shapes to emerge from the sea. They struggle up the beach and wiggle around to find a comfortable place. If this is not found or if a flashlight or camera flash go off they turn tail and head for the waters. They may do this several times over a period of nights until they make the decision to dig their nest which they do with their back flippers. They hole they dig is very deep aboout 15m - 18" deep and just slightly deeper than their basck legs. They then balance on one leg in the hole and one on the side and go into a trance and lay appox 150 eggs. Whilt tennis ball eggs straight into the hole. As she finishes the laying the eggs get smaller and they are not fertilized and act as an air barrier for the hatching eggs later on. While she is in the trance you can take pictures and touch her. There are now night patrols to stop the poaching and attacks on the turtles and these patrols are the most informative and interesting tour guides to the whole process. They were head lamps and flip them to red as soon as the laying is complete. There are many volunteers who under the guidance of the patrols measure the turtles and tag them and look for injury and barnacles etc. The Turtles measure about 5' by 4' and their shells are aerodynamically shaped as they cannot withdraw into them for safety and must use their protection of speed (faster than a shark ) and depth.

When they have finished laying they come out of the trance and begin covering the eggs with their back legs and compacting it by putting their weight (500 - 2000 lbs) onto the sand. They continue this until it is level than they begin to 'chuck' sand all over to cover everything and you had better move out of the way. Then they move forward and dig up and cover some more. This process is repeated to camouflage the eggs after which they start digging another hole a few feet away to act as a decoy. When they are satsified with this they hot foot directly for the sea again. They may do this 5 times between April and August laying several thousand eggs only one of 1000 might survive!!! It was thrilling to watch it all in the half moon light moving from the sea digging laying and camouflaging then returning. The turtles on the Atlantic coast are beginning to proliferate again with the patrols so they are starting it now on the pacific coast too.