_{Moonlit beach nights, perfect conditions for nesting turtles!}

I have always wanted to see a nesting sea turtle. Minus the thoughtless crowds.
I got to do all that, and more!

During nesting season, volunteers at the Bubbles Resort Turtle Conservation Project are on Night Watch for beaching turtles.

There was a knock on the door at 11pm, followed by an excited voice.
“Girls! There’s a Lady on the beach!” said Martin.
In jammies, I was out the door and rendezvoused with the other two volunteers. We made off for the opposite end of the beach, keeping maximum distance from our nesting turtle.

It was a beautiful night.
The full moon illuminated the clouds without dulling the glitter of stars.
We waited a good hour and half before Martin tiptoed to tell us she had finally settled on a spot and tonight’s the night. Fifteen minutes later, Martin hurries back with sparkling eyes to get me live my wish.

_{Turtle tracks!}
We gently made our way through the sand, barefooted. Then slowly and quietly worked through the jungle (Yes, turtles lay eggs in the jungle. Not the open beach!). I heard a loud raking of leaves and glanced at Martin. He pointed a soft red light (red light doesn’t hurt a turtles sensitive eyes) ahead of us and there she was! Sweeping the jungle floor and sand with huge flippers.

She was already in a catatonic state and wasn't going to be disturbed by us.

This massive creature, so gentle that there were actual tears rolling down her face as she lay her eggs. I sat and watched from a distance before leaving her to return to the sea in peace. It didn't take her too long. Martin's poles serve as the only indicators of where her eggs are when she leaves.

With our Lady back in the ocean, Martin gathered her eggs in a bucket and moved them to the hatchery. It is a delicate process since the eggs when freshly laid, have soft shells which harden in time. The buckets were then buried in sand with wired mesh and a heavy rock placed over it. This prevents wild animals from getting to the eggs, significantly increasing chances of survival for hatchlings before facing the ocean.

_{Laying her eggs.}
I managed this photograph from 15 meters away, on night mode, with no flash, when she was already catatonic.

This lovely lady had come up to the beach 3 times that week looking for nesting ground but returned to the sea, never satisfied. We were concerned she may lay in the ocean and the eggs, eaten by predators.

The thing about turtles is, they always return to the place they were born. The birthplace is where they will lay their eggs and the circle continues. When a turtle doesn’t lay her eggs where she should, she may never return. Critically decreasing their chances of survival.