2023/24 Turtle Season Insights:
Conservation and Sightings on the Shoreline
Welcome to our Annual Turtle Conservation Report for 2023/24, a comprehensive overview of the past year's efforts in turtle monitoring and conservation activities along our shores!
We’d like to introduce the author of this year’s report, the usual suspect, Mbongeni Myeni. MB is the esteemed head guide of Maputaland, who has been working as a guide since the early 90s at Rocktail Bay and then later at Rocktail Beach Camp. Working alongside renowned turtle experts like George Hughes and Andy Coetzee, Mbongeni has cultivated a deep understanding of the intertidal zone and its marine inhabitants, particularly the leatherback and loggerhead turtles. His expertise and passion make him an invaluable resource for anyone eager to explore and understand the ecological treasures of Maputaland.
Leatherback Sightings Highlight of the Year:
This year has been exceptional for leatherback turtle observations, with these majestic creatures spotted on nearly every tour, notably emerging from the water in the early evening. This is a shift from previous years when late-evening drives yielded better sightings. A standout moment was in February, witnessing a leatherback turtle leaving the surf, climbing the beach, excavating a nest, and laying its eggs—an entire nesting process observed firsthand. The abundance of jellyfish, their primary food, in the ocean and along the shoreline over the laying period, might explain the increased visibility of leatherbacks this season. In total, there were 10 leatherbacks spotted an increase from last year’s 7. There were an additional 9 tracks of leatherbacks without a sighting.
Leatherback tracks on the intertidal zone en route to lay
Leatherback entering trance like state before laying
Loggerhead Sightings More Subdued:
Contrastingly, loggerhead turtle sightings were less frequent this year. A memorable encounter involved a loggerhead turtle approaching the shore at 3 pm during a snorkelling session, although it ultimately did not nest. Notably, the loggerheads observed appeared younger and lacked barnacles on their shells. In total there were 13 loggerheads which was a decrease of 50% from last years total of 26. There were an additional 23 tracks of loggerheads without a sighting.
Jellyfish, the main food source for leatherback turtles
Loggerhead entering trance like state
Conservation Efforts and Turtle Locations:
Most turtle sightings occurred between Manzengwenya and Lalanek, likely due to the lower human activity in these areas. The Isimangaliso team played a pivotal role in conserving these environments by enforcing regulations that deter fishermen from disturbing the beaches with their vehicles, leading to several arrests for illegal beach access.
Record-Breaking Leatherback and Loggerhead Sizes:
One leatherback turtle stood out remarkably, measuring approximately 2 meters in length and 1.4 meters in width, with an estimated weight close to a ton. On the other hand, the loggerhead turtles seen this season were generally smaller, averaging around 90 cm in length.
Hatchling Observations Limited:
This season, turtle monitoring activities were scaled down in January, transitioning from drives to walks. Regrettably, no hatchlings were spotted during these walks, with only their tracks indicating their presence.
This season has provided insightful observations and significant conservation efforts, reflecting both the challenges and rewards of protecting these fascinating marine creatures.
Turtle offering at Big Skies
The turtle excursion at Big Skies Gugs and Big Skies Ubunye is set up in the following manner:
We have secured an exclusive permit with iSimangaliso Wetland Park and KZN Wildlife, allowing us to operate a turtle drive. This makes us one of only two operators permitted to do this.
There is an additional cost, R1050 per person per drive and R950 per person per walk, to do this experience
Turtle season starts on the 15th of November and concludes on the 15th of Marcch
Includes a flask of tea or hot chocolate and biscuits
The excursion is tide-dependent and can only happen at night (between 6 pm and 6 am), so please prepare for a late night
Anywhere from 2-4 hours depending on sightings
Leave camp 2/3 hours before low tide
