Page 45 - Atlas Sea Birds Ver1

Loggerhead Turtle
4 000
Camp - Kosi Bay
3 500 Nests
Emergences (tracks)
3 000
Camp 15 N 2 500
Number 2 000

Bhanga Nek 1 500

1 000
500
Dog Point
Black Rock 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
Year

Figure 2. Trends in numbers of nests and emergences of
Loggerhead Turtles in the Index Area, 1965/66–2020/21. The first
Lala Nek year in the split-year breeding season is indicated on the x-axis
Leatherback Turtle
Manzengwenya
Numbers of emergences and nests of Leatherback Turtles
recorded in the Index Area from 1965/66–2021/22 are
shown in Figure 3. For both parameters there was
Mabibi considerable inter-annual variation. Despite this, it is
apparent that the population increased in the late 1960s
and early 1970s. This was followed by a period of
prolonged stability, albeit with sometimes large fluctuations,
until 2021/22. In five of the six seasons between 1965/66
Camp - 9 Mile and 1970/71, the number of emergences was < 40, with
a minimum of six in 1966/67. Subsequently, numbers
of emergences fluctuated around a level of c. 75, only
again dropping below 40 in 1985/86, 1987/88, 2009/10
and 2018/19. A maximum of slightly more than 160 was
attained in 2000/01. Fewer than 40 nests were recorded
Camp - Sodwana in five of the six seasons between 1965/66 and 1970/71.
Thereafter, numbers of nests fluctuated around a level of
c. 60 and were only < 30 in 1985/86 and 1987/88. The
maximum of slightly more than 140 nests was recorded in
N 2000/01 (Figure 3).

Leatherback Turtle
160
Nests
140 Emergences (tracks)
120
Figure 1. A map of northeast KwaZulu-Natal showing the extents
of the Index Area (Kosi Bay to Bhanga Nek) and the wider area 100
of recent counts (border with Mozambique at top of map to Number
Sodwana). The localities of research and turtle monitor camps 80
used to conduct turtle monitoring are shown 60

40
Across the species’ entire nesting area in KZN
between the Mozambique border and Sodwana Bay, 7,088 20
emergences and 4,551 nests were recorded in the 2021/22
breeding season (Bachoo 2022), compared respectively to 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
6,490 and 3,890 in 2014/15 (Bachoo 2021).
The longshore distributions of emergences and nests Year
of Loggerhead Turtles off the coast of northern KZN in Figure 3. Trends in numbers of Leatherback Turtle nests and
2020/21 are shown in Figure 4. Most nesting took place emergences in the Index Area, 1965/66–2020/21. The first year in
between the Mozambique border and Black Rock. the split-year breeding season is indicated on the x-axis

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