Sea turtles have peacefully inhabited the world's oceans for millions of years and have been a traditional food source and a source of creative and cultural inspiration in the Caribbean since Amerindian times.
Today, our fragile sea turtle populations are under threat on land and at sea, the fact that most take decades to reach sexual maturity means that it can take years to determine the full impact of current activities which is why consistency is key in the conservation effort.
Even if you can’t join us on the beaches, there are so many simple things you can do wherever you are to help the plight of sea turtles around the world.
Tobago’s Turtles
Tobago’s Top Three Turtles:
Dermochelys coriacea
Eretmochelys imbricata
Chelonia mydas
Our Top Three Turtle Threats:
Over exploitation of sea turtles locally combined with inadequate legislation and resources to address the ongoing poaching problem is by far the greatest threat to Tobago’s turtles.
Loss of secure nesting beach habitat due to coastal development, beachfront lighting, sand mining and sea level rise is becoming a greater problem every year.
Increased human activity at sea has meant an increase in the number of turtle deaths due to swallowing plastic bags and other garbage, entanglement in fishing gear and accidental boat strikes