Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
A highlight of this trip is seeing the giant leatherback turtles at Grande Rivere.
At the right time of year, generally between April and July, you may encounter a leatherback turtle. These giant "soft-shelled" turtles can weigh as much as 2000 pounds! Leatherbacks must travel to the Caribbean to nest because they reside in cooler latitudes of the United States, Canada and the eastern Atlantic Ocean. These areas are far too cold to provide adequate nesting conditions! Thus, Caribbean islands, including Trinidad and Tobago, are very important to the survival of these ancient creatures. Sadly, many of the leatherbacks that come to Trinidad & Tobago laden with eggs are killed when they come ashore. When an adult female is killed, thousands of eggs (which would have been laid in future years) are also lost.
It is because we have killed so many of the adults that sea turtles of all species are endangered throughout the Caribbean. Each female must lay many thousands of eggs in order for her species to survive. Only a few hatchlings in 1000 will survive to maturity and lay eggs of their own. Sea turtles are 20-35 years old, depending on the species, before they are old enough to breed. Many are killed before they reach this age. Sometimes we do not kill them directly, but still they perish from our activities. For example, turtles breath air and can drown when they become entangled in fishing nets. Also, turtles are very sensitive to light. When the nesting beach is well lit by hotels and other developments, the baby turtles are attracted by these artificial lights and crawl inland. These hatchlings never find the sea and they often die in the morning sun. Finally, turtles can mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and die when their stomachs become packed with plastic.
Grande Riviere is an important conservation area which tourism is helping to preserve. In the past locals have killed the turtles for their shells and meat and dug up their eggs. Now they are employed as wardens and help protect the turtles.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
