Why do we do what we do?

Turtle conservation on Matura Beach has come a long way since its inception in 1990. Prior to our work, it was normal to go to Matura beach and encounter scattered carcasses every morning. It was a mass genocide, nightly. In total, at least 30% of nesting turtles were slaughtered, poachers would take their eggs, meat and carapace (shell), hence the need for our conservation work. Our work began with just a small team who conducted nightly patrols to enforce what was already law and ensure that no turtle would be harmed or eggs removed. These turtles have been protected law in both the “Conservation of protected species act” and the “Fisheries act”. With the induction of the nightly patrols, there was now enforcement of these statutes.

We then took another step. We were now able to show the value of these turtles alive, in a region of Trinidad and Tobago with high unemployment, Nature Seekers was able to encourage community members to become patrols and tour guides, bringing thousands of tourists to Matura beach annually to see these prehistoric creatures. This provided sustainable income for many, who were once poachers themselves, a complete transformation. Trinidad and Tobago soon became known as the prime location for sea turtle nesting, majorly Leatherbacks, encouraging visitors, researchers, and students from around the globe.

As time progressed we needed to learn more about the species we were protecting. Was it the same individuals every year? Every night? To answer those questions, we began the turtle tagging process. The turtling tagging is a minimally invasive procedure where Monel (an alloy) tags are applied to a fatty piece of tissue at the rear flippers of the turtle, these tags are indicative of the of the location the turtle was first sighted and is a global effort. Being a metal, in a marine environment, the tags wear off after time due to corrosion and biofouling, hence microchipping (no larger than a rice grain) was the next thing, now all turtles are tagged with two flipper tags and 1 PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tag (microchip).

The Turtle tagging provided us with much more insightful data and enabled us to update both local and international institutions on the status of our local nesting population. The work that started in Matura branched out to other sites around Trinidad and Tobago as conservation had to be a national effort.

Our efforts are now taking us even further, we’ve began GPS and satellite tracking, genetic sampling and more and as the need for more knowledge and protection methods for the species is required. Nature Seekers is willing to go the distance to Protect, Conserve and Research these Sea creature, and we look forward to your continued support.