Sea Turtle Nesting Basics
Saturday, November 24, 2007
We have Leatherback turtles nesting right now in
Bocas del Toro Panama so here is some basic
information on nesting for all sea turtles.
Female sea turtles instinctively return to the same beach as they were born to nest each year. Sometimes they even emerge from the ocean less than one hundred yards from the spot in which they were born.
Eggs are generally laid one month after mating and almost always during the cover of night on a deserted beach. Any light other than natural moonlight and starlight can be seen by the turtles and will cause the turtle to turn back to the sea to wait. Even the most subtle match strikes can be detected.
Sometimes a turtle will abandon a nest if she encounters an obstacle or if the sand does not have the right consistency or moisture content. Another turtle may nest regardless of what else is going on around her. If a turtle fails to nest and returns to sea it is referred to as a “false crawl”
Most females nest at least twice during a given season although certain turtles may nest only once and others may nest as many as ten or eleven times.
Because of their size, each turtle uses a different method to move on land which allows researchers to determine species without actually seeing the turtle.
Female sea turtles instinctively return to the same beach as they were born to nest each year. Sometimes they even emerge from the ocean less than one hundred yards from the spot in which they were born.
Eggs are generally laid one month after mating and almost always during the cover of night on a deserted beach. Any light other than natural moonlight and starlight can be seen by the turtles and will cause the turtle to turn back to the sea to wait. Even the most subtle match strikes can be detected.
Sometimes a turtle will abandon a nest if she encounters an obstacle or if the sand does not have the right consistency or moisture content. Another turtle may nest regardless of what else is going on around her. If a turtle fails to nest and returns to sea it is referred to as a “false crawl”
Most females nest at least twice during a given season although certain turtles may nest only once and others may nest as many as ten or eleven times.
Because of their size, each turtle uses a different method to move on land which allows researchers to determine species without actually seeing the turtle.