nesting
While each species has its own annual
nesting period, in Trinidad and Tobago
the official Sea Turtle Nesting Season is
March 1 to August 31. On attaining sexual
maturity, most sea turtle species return to
their beaches of birth to lay eggs. A female
may lay an average of six clutches of eggs
within a specific season, with each clutch
containing 100 eggs. These large numbers
are necessary since hatchlings are easy
targets for predators (such as sea birds and
fish), and only a small number survive to
adulthood.
protection
All five species of sea turtle are on the
International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) Red List. The Leatherback and Olive
Ridley are listed as Vulnerable, the Green and
Loggerhead are listed as Endangered and the
Hawksbill is listed as Critically Endangered
(2013).
For more information, please contact:
Environmental Management Authority (EMA)
Trinidad and Tobago
8 Elizabeth Street, St Clair, Port of Spain
Tel: 628-8042 / Fax: 628-9122
Green Turtle
2 Dumfries Road, La Romaine
Tel: 697-7619 / Fax: 697-0309
Corner Eastern Main Road &
St. John’s Road, St. Augustine
Tel: 645-4549 / Fax: 645-0600
Source: IUCN Red List
threats
Turtle nests are at risk of destruction from
sand compression as a result of vehicles
driving on beaches. Bright lights along
beaches can disorient hatchlings and prevent
them from reaching the sea. The main threats
to adult sea turtles are accidental drowning
in gill nets set for fish and poaching for their
meat. Leatherbacks may also mistake plastic
debris floating in the ocean for jellyfish and
die from ingesting this material.
Locally, they were first protected on land under
the Conservation of Wildlife Act, Chapter 67:01
but were allowed to be fished under the Fisheries
Act, Chapter 67:51. In 2011, the Fisheries Act
was amended to give full protection to all sea
turtle species. In 2014, they were designated
as Environmentally Sensitive Species under the
Environmentally Sensitive Species Rules, 2001.
This prohibits injury or sale of the species and the
destruction of its habitat.
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.ema.co.tt
The penalty for causing damage to an
Environmentally Sensitive Species is $100,000
and imprisonment for two years.
Printed on environmentally responsible paper
Our Sea Turtles
Environmentally Sensitive Species
sea turtles
Hawksbill
Loggerhead
features
Sea turtles are believed to have existed for
millions of years. There are now seven species
of sea turtle left in the world, five of which
feed in waters around Trinidad and Tobago
and/or return to its shores to lay eggs. The five
species are the Leatherback, Green, Hawksbill,
Olive Ridley and Loggerhead. They may all be
classified scientifically as follows:
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Animalia
Chordata
Reptilia
Testudines
Olive Ridley
Green
The Leatherback turtle is the best known of the
local sea turtle species. Trinidad’s population
of nesting females is one of the three largest
in the world, and a few beaches of the
north and east coasts are the best managed
and monitored on the island. In Tobago,
Leatherbacks mainly nest on the south east
coast, from Plymouth to Pigeon Point.
Leatherback
Green
Species
Dermochelys
coriacea
Chelonia mydas
Carapace
(Shell)
Soft and leathery,
with seven ridges;
it is black with
white spots
Brown with
darker spots
General
Description
Largest turtle
on earth
Adult
Weight
More than 500 kg
Approximately
230 kg
Age of
Maturity
12-29 years
Diet
Mostly jellyfish
Habitat
Leatherback
Olive Ridley Hawksbill Loggerhead
Lepidochelys
olivacea
Eretmochelys
imbricata
Its shape is
Reddish, golden to
rounded; its colour
blackish brown
may vary from olive
with yellow
green to brown
markings
Caretta caretta
Reddish brown
to brown
It has a beakshaped bill
Rarest marine
turtle in T&T; it has
a large head and
strong jaws
45 kg
90 kg
More than 180 kg
18-36 years
15 years
20 years
32-35 years
Seagrass, algae
Crabs, shrimp, sea
urchins
Mostly sponges
Crustaceans,
molluscs, fish
Coastal areas,
Open sea and deep
Shallow coastal
though they are
water; they can
dive to depths of waters, including sometimes seen
in open sea;
1300 m and remain coral reefs and
seagrass beds they dive to depths
underwater for up
of 152 m to feed
to 67 mins
Estuaries, bays,
coral reefs and
lagoons
Estuaries and
shallow coastal
waters
Named for the Smallest of the sea
green colour of its
turtles found
body fat
in our waters