The Giant Leatherback Turtle - Dermochelys coriacea dates back 150 million years to the Triassic Period. It nests in Tobago each year between March-July. The female nests as many as 8 times each season at intervals of approximately 10 days. During the laying process the turtle comes ashore to excavate a chamber 3 feet deep where she deposits over 75 small white eggs before filling in the chamber with sand, disguising the spot, then returning to the sea.

During the nesting process visitors are asked to have absolutely no lights turned on otherwise the process might be aborted. Interference of any sort should be avoided. Sixty days later the tiny hatchlings, fully formed but just 3 inches long, emerge from the sand and head to the sea returning as adults some fifty years later to the same beach where they were born to begin the process all over again. By this time they can measure 5 to 6 feet in length and can weigh a thousand pounds!

In Tobago the nesting beaches are Great Courland Bay, Grafton, Englishman's Bay, Bloody Bay and Parlatuvier. The Turtles are protected by law and illegal hunting or removal of eggs is forbidden. Poaching unfortunately does exist. There are local protection groups which can be contacted: Environment Tobago is a very active group.

• email: envirotab@tstt.net.tt
• phone: + (868) 660-7462
• web site: http://www.scsoft.de/et/et2.nsf

Wendy Herron of the organisation WIDECAST is based in Tobago Phone: + (868) 639-8981 or 639-9669