By Prior Beharry
SEABATHERS at Maracas beach were in for a treat on only the second day of 2022 when they saw newly hatched Leatherback Turtles heading for the shoreline.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, beaches are open only from 5 am to 12 noon every day.
The hatching of the turtles was confirmed by a release of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) on Sunday.
It stated that it had been monitoring the nest for the past two weeks and the area was cordoned off when the hatchlings emerged and headed to the water.
A release by UDeCOTT stated, “Sea bathers were ecstatic to witness the hatchlings and were fully cooperative in not interfering with them.
“Leatherback Turtles are named for their shell, which is leather-like rather than hard, like other turtles. They are the largest sea turtle species and also one of the most migratory, often in search of jellyfish, which forms much of their diet.”
Video courtesy UDeCOTT
It stated, “Although their distribution is widespread, numbers of Leatherback Turtles have seriously declined during the last century. Globally, Leatherback status according to IUCN (Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is listed as ‘Vulnerable’, but many sub-populations, such as in the Pacific and Southwest Atlantic, are listed as ‘Critically Endangered’.”
The release stated that Trinidad and Tobago represents the nesting site for the largest Leatherback Turtle population in the Northwest Atlantic and local Conservationist Groups actively engage to protect the species.
