It's official! Leatherback nesting season has begun, and yours truly is a member of the staff.
Last night was my first night out on night monitoring. 8pm-6am shifts. We walk for 30 minutes in pairs with gear (tagging equipment, logbooks, radios, etc.) then sit for 30 minutes throughout the night. Last night we only saw one come up, circle once, then head back out to sea without laying eggs. This is frustrating, but it was astonishing to see one up close. It's the first one I'd ever laid eyes on. She was beautiful. They average about 500kg and have a dark grey carapace mottled with white spots. Unlike Greens and Hawksbills, the other two turtles native to St. Kitts, leatherbacks have a softer, more supple outer shell allowing them to withstand pressure when they dive incredibly deep into the sea. Hence the name. This one was about 2.5 feet across and 4 feet long. She didn't have tags, and unfortunately we couldn't stop her movement for long enough to punch a small metal cattle tag caudal to her hind flippers. Once she reached the ocean, she simply disappeared. One moment, huge and laboring on the sand and the next, gone to sea seeming almost weightless.
She likely didn't like the streetlights once she got up to the beach. Turtles nest in the dark as you likely already know. The community of Keys (and more generally the island of St Kitts) has little regard for these endangered creatures. In fact they continue to have open harvest each year when it is legal to fish for turtles. Anyway, back in FL, NC, GA, many turtle-friendly seaside cities/towns have strictly enforced ordinances about turning off or shading lights at night for the turtles' sake. Anyway, back to studying, but I was thrilled about getting started as a research assistant. It's like seeing a dinosaur. :) I'm so excited; I could hardly sit still last night.
will post photos as soon as I get a hold of them.
bye for now
lkc
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