Saturday, September 12, 2009

First turtles of the season arriving


On the 5th of August, Marcel reported the first nesting turtle sighting on Anse Marie Louise. Two days later, MCSS Research Officer, Elke Talma, found evidence of a successful nesting emergence on one of the South Mahe beaches.

The first turtle nest of the season, photo Elke Talma

These are the first turtles of the 2009-10 Hawksbill Nestings Season which “officially” began on the 16th July 2009. Generally, one or two turtle will be nesting at this time of the year and as the season progresses, the number will increase, with peak nesting occurring between October and February each year.


Looking back at data from previous nesting seasons, these recent emergences are not the earliest recorded for first emergences. In 2008-09, MCSS recorded a turtle nesting on the 5th July 2008, a full week before the official Nesting Season began. Conversely, the latest emergence was recorded during the 2004-05 Season, when the first nesting turtle was reported on the 27th September.

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