Trinidad's Leatherback Sea Turtles

In 2010 we took our first of three trips to Matura, Trinidad to assist with the tagging and measuring of the leatherback sea turtle.  We were there near the beginning of the nesting season yet still managed to collect data and tag about 125 turtles.  We assisted the Nature Seekers with nocturnal beach patrols, tagging of nesting turtles, collection of morphometric information (size and shape measurements), assessment of population trends and behavioral patterns, supervision of ecotourism, and education of the public.  On some nights, patience was the key as we patrolled the beach waiting for turtles to slide ashore to nest.  At those times we took the opportunity to listen to the sounds of the jungle, look for spectacled caiman or fishing bats in the rivers behind the beach, or admired the Southern Cross in the stars.