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How do I
report turtle activity or turtles in trouble?
Call the Turtle
Hotline: 230-0142
How many
different types of sea turtles are there?
There are seven different species of sea turtles
globally, each of which has a scientific name and a common
name. The common name is often a description of some
characteristic of the turtle's body. For example, the four
most common species in the eastern Caribbean are:
- The Green turtle (Chelonia mydas):
named for the green color of its body fat.
- The Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys
imbricata): named because of its narrow head and large
beak that resembles the beak of a hawk.
- The Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys
coriacea): this is the only sea turtle without a bony
shell. Its back is covered with a layer of tough, rubbery
skin that resembles leather.
- The Loggerhead turtle (Caretta
caretta): this turtle has an exceptionally large head.
The other three species are the olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys
olivacea), the Kemp’s ridley turtle (Lepidochelys
kempii) and the flatback turtle (Natator depressus).
| What do hawksbills eat?
Hatchlings eat plankton, sea grasses, and algae, which
float on or near the surface of the ocean. Juvenile and adult hawksbills
feed off of the reef systems. They primarily eat a variety of sponges.
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| When do hawksbills start to
breed? It is
thought that female hawksbills in the Caribbean do not start to breed until
they are approximately 25-30 years old and adult male hawksbill turtles
begin to mate a bit earlier, between 20-25 years. |
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Is it a male or a female?
There are no visible external differences between males
and females until they reach adulthood. The tail and the size of claws are
the only discriminating features between adult male hawksbills and adult
females. All juveniles, male or female, have a short tail and short claws that are just
visible at the leading edge of the front and hind flippers. However, as the
male reaches adulthood, his tail will grow so that it extends well past the
end of the shell, and his claws become long and hooked. The adult female,
similar to the juvenile hawksbills, has a short tail, and small claws. |
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When do hawksbills nest in Barbados?
Most hawksbill turtles in Barbados nest during the peak season between
mid-May through mid to late October. However, nesting has been documented in
every month of the year. |
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How big do they grow?
75-100 centimetres or 30-39 inches. |
| How much can they weigh?
150-220 pounds or 68-100 kilograms. |
| How is the nest chamber created?
The female begins the nesting process by using her front
and rear flippers to throw away the dry sand around her. She forms a shallow
pit around her to prevent the dry sand from constantly filling up the nest
cavity that she is trying to dig. Once she has created a 'body pit' she then
uses her rear flippers to excavate a nest cavity. She alternates between her
right rear and left rear flippers to scoop sand from the nesting chamber.
This sand is brought to the surface and is thrown to the side of the nest.
She will dig until her rear flippers can no longer reach the deepest portion
of the nest. Digging may be abandoned at times due to solid objects such as
roots and rocks that prevent her from digging or expanding the nest cavity,
as well as movement and/or light disturbances which may scare her back to
the sea.
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| How many eggs do they lay?
A
female hawksbill turtle lays an average of 4 clutches of eggs each breeding season.
These turtles do not breed every year, rather every 2-4 years. Each clutch
of eggs contains an average of 150 eggs which are laid during a 15-25 minute
period.
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| How deep is the nest?
The female hawksbill digs a nest chamber in the sand which is approximately
45 centimetres or 18 inches deep |
How long do the eggs incubate?
Dependent on sand temperature, the eggs will incubate in the sand for 55-75 days, with an average of 60 days incubation period. |
How do the hatchlings get out of the sand?
In most cases, all the turtle eggs
hatch at the same time. All the hatchlings instinctively know to crawl
upwards. With the help of all 100-150 of the scrambling hatchlings, they
slowly make their way up to the surface. It takes between 2-4 days for the
hatchlings to emerge from the sand. They gauge their emergence on a cooling
sand temperature, which usually indicates nightfall. |
| How do the hatchlings
make it to the sea?
When the hatchlings emerge from the
sand, they look for the brightest horizon. Naturally, this horizon should
ALWAYS be the seaward horizon, with or without a moon. In cases where there
are brighter lights inland, the hatchlings will orient themselves toward
these lights, rather than the seaward horizon, and will travel inland. Here
they succumb to predators such as crabs, are run over on roads, or die from
dehydration. |
| Where do the hatchlings
go?
Once the hatchlings make it to the sea, they will begin a 'swimming frenzy'
where they swim frantically for approximately 72 hours. They will be picked
up and carried by the major currents of the North Atlantic. It is thought
that they float on the surface of the ocean for the next 3-4 years, hiding
in floating seaweed and travelling wherever the currents take them, before
returning to near-shore waters. |
How long do they live?
Sea turtles may live for 60+ years. Currently, there is no method to accurately age adult turtles. |
How is the sex of the sea turtle determined?
Studies have determined that the sand temperature during incubation determines the sex of the sea turtle. Warmer temperatures will result in a greater proportion of female hatchlings, where as cooler temperatures will produce a larger number of male hatchlings. |
How do they migrate?
Sea turtles migrate using the earth's magnetic field. As a hatchling, the turtle imprints on the location where it was born. Although the hawksbill turtles spend the next 20-30 years away from their natal beach, when sexually mature, they are able to migrate back to that site, and if it is a female, they will most likely nest within a short distance of where they themselves were born 30 years earlier. |
Are sea turtles protected?
As of 1998, the Government of Barbados enacted a total moratorium on sea turtle harvesting. It is completely illegal to catch any species of sea turtle, or possess any turtle product (i.e. meat, shell, eggs) in Barbados. Penalties include fines up to $50,000 Barbados dollars and/or two years in jail. However, each country has its own laws, and in some places it is still legal to harvest sea turtles during certain times of the year. |
Why are hawksbills threatened?
Hawksbill sea turtles are Critically Endangered due to over-harvesting by man, primarily for the shell, but also for their meat and eggs. Tortoiseshell jewellery is made from the hawksbill shell. Over the last century, the Hawksbill population has significantly declined due to over-exploitation. Population recovery is an extremely slow process. It is estimated that only 1 in every 1,000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood, which is not reached until 25-30 years of age. It is only then that turtles can begin to reproduce. A large number of turtles are also accidentally caught and drowned in fishing
nets. Hawksbill nesting beaches are also under threat. Beachfront developments, including sea walls, buildings, and boulders, limit the spaces available for nesting females to deposit their eggs. This forces the turtles to nest in sub-optimal areas of the beach where entire clutches may be washed away by high tides.
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