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Nature Foundation recorded a rare leatherback nest on Maho Beach in 2024
A leatherback sea turtle plausibly nested on Maho Beach on the night of 18 April 2024, the first leatherback nesting on Sint Maarten since June 2022 and the first nesting on Maho since 2020, according to the Nature Foundation.
By SXM Daily ยท
Reported 24 April 2024.
A leatherback sea turtle plausibly laid a nest on Maho Beach on the night of Thursday 18 April 2024, the first sea turtle nest of Sint Maarten's 2024 season, according to the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten.
Illustrative: Maho Beach (file photo).
Photo: Richie Diesterheft / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
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The foundation said its team examined the tracks and eyewitness videos after a report from a member of the public. It was the first recorded leatherback nesting on Sint Maarten since June 2022, and the first nesting of any kind on Maho Beach since 2020.
A rare visitor
Science Officer Anna Venema called it "quite a rare event", and said the two-metre-wide tracks made it clear that a leatherback, the world's largest sea turtle, had come ashore on the busy beach, according to the release. Turtles seldom nest on Maho because it has no vegetation line, a short shore and heavy human activity.
An authorised dig the next morning could not confirm eggs, but the foundation said the female had likely laid. The site was cordoned off, and the foundation said it was preparing signs and flyers for nearby hotels and restaurants. If viable, around 100 eggs could hatch in about 60 days.
What the public can do
The Nature Foundation asked beachgoers to stay at least 15 metres from nesting turtles, keep dogs on a leash, fill in large holes in the sand and use only red or amber lights on the beach. Leatherbacks are critically endangered and protected under local law, the foundation said.
Sources
Source: https://naturefoundationsxm.org/first-confirmed-sea-turtle-nest-of-the-season-laid-on-maho-beach/