The 2020 nesting season for sea turtles in Saint Martin begins this year from its first night, Sunday March 1, and will not end until the end of November.
This is an opportunity for the National Nature Reserve of Saint-Martin, member of the French West Indies Marine Turtle Network and local referent of the National Action Plan for sea turtles coordinated by the ONF in Guadeloupe, to mobilize volunteers for follow this breeding season in Saint-Martin. Ecovolunteers wishing to contribute to the production of scientific data on traces of spawning on the beaches of the French part can contact the Natural Reserve (Aude BERGER, +590 690 47 02 13, reservenat.aude@yahoo.com). An information meeting will be held on Friday March 13 at 18 p.m. at the premises of the Nature Reserve at Hope Estate.
The spawning season of the 3 species of sea turtles frequenting our beaches theoretically spans from March to November, materialized by the successive arrivals of the first leatherback turtles (March-April), followed by green turtles (May-June) then finally by hawksbill turtles (June).
This 2020 season was therefore inaugurated by a leatherback turtle that came to lay eggs on the night of Sunday March 1 to Monday March 2, on the beach at Orient Bay. Contacted by the managers of the beach restaurant in front of which the largest of the sea turtles has made its nest, the Nature Reserve was able to raise awareness among the restaurant's employees and mark the nest to avoid threats (planting of umbrellas, circulation of heavy machinery, …).
We remind you of the good gestures to have in case of encounter with a sea turtle laying eggs on the beach:
- Stay away at least 10 meters from the animal, do not get closer;
- Do not light the animal, even with a camera flash;
- Be as discreet as possible, do not make noise;
- Contact the Nature Reserve, Aude +590 690 47 02 13 or Julien +590 690 34 77 10.
Remember that sea turtles are protected animals throughout France and that as such any intentional disturbance may expose them to prosecution. In the absence of disturbance, only 1 turtle in 1 will become an adult, while the slightest stress during this critical phase can lead to failure to lay or even destruction of the eggs. As a reminder, less than 000 leatherback turtles come to lay eggs each year on the French beaches of Saint Martin, for a total annual number of 10 to 150 traces of spawning of all species. Thank you for contributing to the preservation of these emblematic species by adopting the right reflexes.
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