Its success, we were warned, is extremely vulnerable to interruption. More than that, our aim was to avoid detection altogether, to allow her a semblance of privacy to complete her birthing routine. They need a sense of safety and solitude to achieve the physiological state that promotes birthing their eggs: the turtle trance.Īs our small group approached this particular sea turtle, we had to be very careful not to alarm her. They come at night, when there is the least chance of disruption, and if anything scares or distracts them, they return to the sea, mission un-accomplished. They only return to perform this reproductive ritual every few years, and they return to the exact beach where they were born. Giant sea turtles are fussy about laying their eggs. We crept as soundlessly as possible to the spot she indicated, and then huddled together in the dim moonlight, so we could all watch this miracle unfolding without disturbing it’s agent. Our guide shone her red light on the sand a few paces ahead of us, creating a trail for us to follow across the driftwood-strewn beach. ![]() Anticipation had been building, and now we were finally going to behold the famous nesting. Now that we could proceed, we all grinned at each other, exchanging excited encouragement for the adventure ahead. We had been assembled, chatting energetically amongst ourselves, all of us upbeat and keen, simply awaiting our guide’s signal. The turtle, we were told, was preparing her nesting spot, and for this ritual she had to remain undisturbed. Having only just met this evening, we had now been waiting in the dark, right off the beach under the trees for well over an hour. ![]() The “we” in question was a small and diverse group of travellers, eight of us, who had signed up for this guided event. She was laying her eggs on the very beach where she was born, some 20 or 30 years ago, and we were brimming with anticipation, eager to witness this magical event. ![]() The “her” in question was a giant green sea turtle. Make sure you stay behind her and you don’t get too close.” Walk quietly behind me, and stop exactly where I show you.
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