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Like clockwork, the Hawksbill Turtle comes to nest every couple of years at Pasture Bay at Jumby Bay, an offshore island resort and home for the wealthy in Antigua and Barbuda. Recently, Darian Joseph, a worker for the Homeowners Parks Department was awarded by the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Network (WIDECAST) for helping to develop the beach in a way that encouraged the turtles to nest there by planting a series of beach vegetation "islands." As David Stubbs, Home Owners Parks Department manager explained, the turtles prefer to lay their eggs some 19 inches down in dense, cool areas amongst beach vegetation near the water's edge. Seaweed – which tends to be discarded on most beaches – is used at Jumby Bay as compost for these "islands" which are made up of Ink Berry, Sea Grape, Bay Cedar, Beach Pea, Morning Glory and Aloes. They are planted in patches along the beach, effectively trapping the sand – preventing beach erosion while providing the preferred location for the turtles to bury their eggs. This continues the Jumby Bay homeowners' tradition, reaching back some 13 years, of providing a protected area for the turtle. Homeowner Dr. Peter Swann said the Hawksbill Turtle, of which only 10,000 remain in the Caribbean, was disappearing due to over-fishing, poaching primarily for its beautiful shell, and development of their nesting beaches. For more than 10 years the homeowners at Jumby Bay have been involved in efforts to preserve the critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle by supporting a University of Georgia research project, and constructing houses and lighting at Jumby Bay with the turtles in mind. "We have provided a protected environment," Swann said. "It's very difficult for anyone to come here and steal the turtles (for their shell and eggs). We've grown the beach to encourage nesting. We've kept detailed records of their nesting habits which helps us to plan the beach." These efforts have been vital to the turtle's survival, especially since newborns are among the most vulnerable. Humans have been known to steal their eggs, which are considered a delicacy. And of those who do survive the gestation period, only 1 to 2 percent reaches adulthood, according to information compiled by the University of Georgia. This is due in part, Stubbs said, to them being preyed on by fishes and birds. Those that do survive travel to St. Kitts and other islands where they subsist on sponges from the Coral Reefs, coming back to the place of their birth about 25 years down the road, mating along the way. At Jumby Bay, they produce and bury some 150 eggs, before swimming back out to sea only to return about two weeks later to lay another 150 eggs; laying up to 450 eggs before they are done for that season. They repeat this pattern every two years or so, coming back to the beach some time within the same week of their last visit. The project has also been extremely good for tourism, according to Swann, since they encourage visits to Pasture Bay at night to observe the turtles when they come ashore to lay their eggs. The Environmental Awareness Group has also led local groups on field trips to the off shore island to observe the nesting habits of the turtle, and Executive Director of that non-governmental group Gillian Cooper said that there hope is that other hoteliers follow the example set by the Jumby Bay homeowners. Joseph's award from WIDECAST is recognition of the project's importance
to the protection of these sea turtles – the only ancient sea
reptile to survive today. The Jumby Bay project, Stubbs said, has helped to keep the population of the Hawksbill in these parts from going down. The turtle which grows to more than 3 feet in size is believed to live for up to 100 years. [665 words]
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