Courtesy of: Aruba Daily
ARUBA – Last Thursday at 11 PM a huge Leatherback Sea Turtle came ashore to lay her eggs. The campers in front of La Quinta called the Turtle Hotline at once and then turned off all the lights in their “campamento”.
When the volunteers of Turtugaruba arrived ten minutes later, the beach was completely dark. On both sides of the sea turtle, at a distance of at least 20 meters, about 100 people were watching how the turtle – undisturbed – was looking for the best spot to make her nest.
Turtugaruba told the onlookers about the life cycle of the sea turtles in general but also about the female turtle that was nesting that night. She is the biggest Leatherback female so far in 2014. The same turtle visited Aruba also in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009 and 2012. Her nickname is “Hole”, named after a hole in one of her flippers observed the first time she made her nest on Eagle Beach in 2001.
Two more nests were laid during the Easter weekend, which makes a total of 9 nests so far. More Leatherback nests will follow till July.
At the end of this month another species will start to nest. The Loggerhead Sea Turtle is a little smaller than the Leatherback. On Aruba the Loggerhead is called Cawama. This species does not nest at Eagle Beach.
For more information or to report any turtle activity on the beach: call Turtle Hotline (297) 592 9393. Like us on Facebook! > www.facebook.com/Turtugaruba
