EARTHWATCH INSTITUTE

The leatherback sea turtle population in the Pacific, once the stronghold of the species, has declined by over 90% since 1980. You can join us in our efforts to change this around and build a better safer future for the leatherbacks.

To truly understand why this ancient species has declined so rapidly and what we can do to stop this decline, researchers need to know everything about them: their behavior, physiology, genetics, population biology, and migration patterns.

To build this knowledge base, you’ll walk the beach at night when turtles are active, getting up close to these massive animals to attach transmitters that will track their local and long-distance movements. You’ll also help relocate eggs from nests in dangerous spots, for example where the waves might wash them away, to a hatchery. This work is critical: with leatherbacks declining at an alarming rate, each turtle is precious.

Here is the summary of the 9 day expedition:

Day 1: Arrival and orientation
Days 2-8: Daily activity includes:
• Monitoring nesting turtles
• Relocating nests
• Releasing hatchlings
• Surveying the beach
Day 8: Farewell dinner
Day 9: Departure

For further details or if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.