We did our first search for sea turtle tracks on two beaches today.
Bathway beach
No signs of sea turtles, but plenty of signs of humans. Plastic bottles, wrappers and other non-biodegradable junk washed up on the beach. I'd like to swear off plastic, but I've tried and its virtually impossible to do. Aside from plastic bags, there are boxes, packets, wrappings (one can't stop buying bread!), wires, impements, snow shovels (a necessity in Boston!), and so on endlessly. What I did learn here is that plastic bags really are the worst, because sea turtles eat them (as do cows and probably other wildlife). So I am going to erase their use from my life.
Levera Beach
Levera beach is part of a national park, though an "eco-resort" is coming up either in it, or just behind it. It is exquisite. Not a soul to be seen, pristine sand, and an ice-cream cone shaped island across the way (which you cannot swim to becuse the currents are so strong you'd end up in the Grenadines).
Better still, we saw tracks from four sea turtles! They leave huge markings in the sand from their flippers while attempting to disguise where they had laid their eggs. We found one yolkless egg (more on this later) on the sand. They are nothing like other eggs I've seen. They are the size of a table tennis ball, and like a water balloon - soft but resistant and a little sloshy.
Training
We had a afternoon's worth of training on procedures for night surveys. A team of 5 goes to the beach at night and patrol the beach in turns waiting for turtles to come up to lay. Once she (Kimron the training supervisor affectionately referred to them in the feminine as do they all) starts to lay, the team jumps or rather, literally "falls" into action. The key piece seems to be counting the eggs WHILE THEY ARE BEING LAID! This is done by catching them IN YOUR HAND to prod the old memory (60-140 eggs). Thankfully, we will wear gloves, though whether for our benefit or the turtles' I don't know. Not only do you have to count the eggs (which apparently sometimes come out 4 at a time), but there are 2 types of eggs - yolked and yolkless, and you have to keep track of both! Wow, talk about memory practice! This stint in Grenada might keep the ol' dementia at bay. This is far more hands on than I was expecting! Its going to be a very interesting few weeks. I'm trying to imagine what its like lying behind a mammoth Leatherback turtle and catching its eggs in the middle of the night, but can't quite get there.
After dinner we (turtle volunteer group and supervisors) sauntered down to the closest village along a lovely dark road to go for a first drink together at the local bar. The bar was spartan but hopping. With men. Constructed of unpainted plywood, it was abuzz with old and young men playing pool at a table which took up almost all the space; we gradually drifted into the front yard with other clusters of people. A convenience store is attached selling soap, chips, condensed milk and other necessities you may have forgotten on your way to the bar, but which you can pick up before heading home. You can find the bartender here dealing with customers if he isn't behind the bar. Great music rounded it off. It was a wonderful way to end the day - anticipation for what lies ahead, a growing cameraderie among the group, and a flavor of the local scene.
Bathway beach
No signs of sea turtles, but plenty of signs of humans. Plastic bottles, wrappers and other non-biodegradable junk washed up on the beach. I'd like to swear off plastic, but I've tried and its virtually impossible to do. Aside from plastic bags, there are boxes, packets, wrappings (one can't stop buying bread!), wires, impements, snow shovels (a necessity in Boston!), and so on endlessly. What I did learn here is that plastic bags really are the worst, because sea turtles eat them (as do cows and probably other wildlife). So I am going to erase their use from my life.
 | |
| Levera Beach |
Levera beach is part of a national park, though an "eco-resort" is coming up either in it, or just behind it. It is exquisite. Not a soul to be seen, pristine sand, and an ice-cream cone shaped island across the way (which you cannot swim to becuse the currents are so strong you'd end up in the Grenadines).
Better still, we saw tracks from four sea turtles! They leave huge markings in the sand from their flippers while attempting to disguise where they had laid their eggs. We found one yolkless egg (more on this later) on the sand. They are nothing like other eggs I've seen. They are the size of a table tennis ball, and like a water balloon - soft but resistant and a little sloshy.
Training
We had a afternoon's worth of training on procedures for night surveys. A team of 5 goes to the beach at night and patrol the beach in turns waiting for turtles to come up to lay. Once she (Kimron the training supervisor affectionately referred to them in the feminine as do they all) starts to lay, the team jumps or rather, literally "falls" into action. The key piece seems to be counting the eggs WHILE THEY ARE BEING LAID! This is done by catching them IN YOUR HAND to prod the old memory (60-140 eggs). Thankfully, we will wear gloves, though whether for our benefit or the turtles' I don't know. Not only do you have to count the eggs (which apparently sometimes come out 4 at a time), but there are 2 types of eggs - yolked and yolkless, and you have to keep track of both! Wow, talk about memory practice! This stint in Grenada might keep the ol' dementia at bay. This is far more hands on than I was expecting! Its going to be a very interesting few weeks. I'm trying to imagine what its like lying behind a mammoth Leatherback turtle and catching its eggs in the middle of the night, but can't quite get there.
After dinner we (turtle volunteer group and supervisors) sauntered down to the closest village along a lovely dark road to go for a first drink together at the local bar. The bar was spartan but hopping. With men. Constructed of unpainted plywood, it was abuzz with old and young men playing pool at a table which took up almost all the space; we gradually drifted into the front yard with other clusters of people. A convenience store is attached selling soap, chips, condensed milk and other necessities you may have forgotten on your way to the bar, but which you can pick up before heading home. You can find the bartender here dealing with customers if he isn't behind the bar. Great music rounded it off. It was a wonderful way to end the day - anticipation for what lies ahead, a growing cameraderie among the group, and a flavor of the local scene.
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