Page 13 - ARUBA TODAY

A13
LOCAL Monday 10 april 2017

The Leatherback Turtle Season has Started on Aruba!

EAGLE BEACH - Two weeks today. Aruba is proud to
ago the first Leatherback welcome these magnifi-
nest of this year was found cent animals every year.
on the beach in front of They are the oldest “repeat
Amsterdam Manor and as guests” of the island.
we can see on the Driekiel- The Leatherback Sea Turtle
O-Meter sign there are does not live in the Carib-
two nests now. The Leath- bean Sea, but in the North-
erback Sea Turtle is locally ern part of the Atlantic
called Driekiel, hence the Ocean. Every 2-4 years the
name Driekiel-O-Meter for adult female will return to
the big sign placed along lay her eggs on the beach
the Boulevard at Eagle where she herself was
Beach, in front of Paradise born. She does not lay just
Beach Villa’s. You can find one nest, but repeat the
a lot of information on this egg laying every 8-12 days
sign. with an average of seven
The Leatherback Sea Turtle nests per season. The eggs
(Dermochelyscoriacea) need 60 – 70 days of incu-
is the largest of the seven bation, so it will take about
species of sea turtles liv- two months to see the little
ing in the world’s oceans hatchings leaving the nest.

Last year a total of 20 nests in the rest of the Caribbean a sea turtle on the beach,
were counted on Eagle region. Let’s see what 2017 please call the Turtle Ho-
Beach, laid by just two dif- will bring us! tline as soon as possible.
ferent females. Leatherbacks can be Thanks!
Those two did a splendid found not only at Eagle More info:
job, above the average. Beach/Low Rise area, but turtugaruba@hotmail.com-
But in general 2016 was not also at other sandy beach- www.facebook.com/Tur-
a very abundant Leath- es like Arashi, Andicuri, tugaruba
erback nesting year, not Boca Grandi. Turtle Hotline (297) 592-
here on Aruba and neither If you find tracks/activity of 9393.