Each year at Grand Riviere Beach, typically beginning in March, female leatherback turtles begin the annual cycle of coming ashore to lay their eggs. They will make repeated visits on to the beach at night, roughly every ten days or so, creating upwards of eight nests during the season which runs until August.
Females that have nested that season will then spend the next few years at sea, before repeating their cycle again. After the first two months into the season, hatchlings can be seen emerging from the burrowed nest chambers, to begin the short but dangerous journey down into the water. Head down to the beach early in the morning, and you could be rewarded with witnessing this special moment.
Predators like gulls, vultures, frigatebirds and even crabs lurk, hoping to cut the hatchling’s dash for freedom short. A far greater threat to leatherback turtles once existed, as the hunting exploits of humans brought down their numbers globally. Conservation efforts since those days have slowed the decline, but anthropogenic threats such as ghost nets and development on suitable nesting beaches are still a dominant force in their decline.
The community of Grand Riviere however are aware of the leatherback’s importance, not least due to the boost to their local economy. They are doing what they can to ensure this beach remains a safe haven for leatherback turtles, so year after year a new generation are able to take their first strokes in the ocean.