Meeting turtles of any age at Crescent Beach
About
Turtle Encounters in Half Moon Bay
What to expect | What to do | What NOT to do
You are walking on the beach, admiring the environment. Suddenly, you see strange tracks which begin at the water, go up the beach to a mound or hole, and then return to the water. Or you see baby turtles on the beach? Or, as once happened, you see them swimming in the pool, having become disorientated!
These scenarios can happen during the period mid-April to mid-September. Females are typically encountered at night creating nests. Hatchlings can become disoriented by cool external conditions and can emerge during the day - but typically it is the coolness of the evening that tells them that it is time to dig out!
Green turtle
- Track width: About 36 inches
- Alignment: Aligned flipper marks
- Flipper marks: Straight midsection
- Nest: Large hole and mound of sand
Loggerhead turtle
- Track width: About 24 inches
- Alignment: Misaligned flipper marks
- Flipper marks: Wavy midsection
- Nest: Small area of disturbed sand
What do you do?
- Stay at least 30 feet away from the tracks and nest.
- Slowly back away, minimising any noise, especially if you hear sounds.
- Do not allow a crowd to gather or make noise/talk/whisper.
- Do NOT use flashlights or any other form of white light.
- Do NOT take flash photographs.
- Paul is a Turtle Volunteer - report the tracks to him - 916-6331. He will notify Turtle Watch at the Department of the Environment.
Encountering hatchlings - baby turtles
- Do NOT permit white lights to be visible from the nesting beach
- Baby turtles crawl towards brightness - ideally, the white foam of the reef.
- If you see a baby turtle on the beach:
- Do not touch the baby turtle unless it is in some form of danger.
- Call Paul on +1(345)916-6331, or knock on the door.
- If babies are headed to the water, great - watch from a distance.
- If babies are headed towards the house or pool, check for white lights attracting them and switch them off.
- No flash photography - it harms the baby turtle's eyes
- Worried? Can't contact Paul or Fay Anne? Call Dept of the Environment at 938-NEST - 938-6378 - and ask for help.
The Department of the Environment turtle team will come out to check a nest a few days before it is due to hatch, and then again a couple of days after hatching to see whether any hatchlings were left behind in the nest and to count the number of eggs and hatchlings.
If a nest contains hatchlings, they are placed into a container on a bed of damp sand and kept in the games room, under a towel, until evening. Paul will then release the baby turtles in the dark (about 8pm) and make sure that they orient towards the bay.
You are welcome to watch this wonderful event and Paul will advise you if it is likely to happen during your stay at Crescent Beach.
All of the rules above apply - please respect them - and most important, no flash photography. Paul will be using red light during the release process. Stay back so that you give the hatchlings a safe space to crawl towards Half Moon Bay.
Thanks...