Tag: nesting turtles
First sea turtle sniffer dog deployed on GC beaches
(CNS): The Department of Environment and the volunteers with its Marine Turtle Beach Monitoring programme have a new team member this turtle nesting season: Bell, Cayman’s first sea turtle detection dog. DoE Coral Reef Management team member and part-time Turtle Team member Stephanie Gunby has spearheaded a pilot study to train her golden retriever to […]
Loggerhead turtle rescued from man-made groyne
(CNS): A female loggerhead turtle that tried to nest on a beach became trapped in a man-made groyne and was rescued by members of the public and conservation officers Tuesday morning. The Department of Environment said this was an unfortunate example of why man-made structures on nesting beaches are so dangerous for these endangered species.
Over 1,000 turtle nest recorded this season
(CNS): The Department of Environment and its team of volunteers have recorded over 1,000 turtle nests on beaches across Grand Cayman this season, the first time since official monitoring began some 25 years ago. With at least 1,003 nests documented and more unrecorded ‘surprise’ nests turning up after they have hatched, the final count for […]
Turtle nesting season already breaking records
(CNS): Two months after the first turtle nest of the season was spotted on Cayman Brac, 2023 is already turning out to be a record year. The loggerhead turtle nest laid on 12 April has already hatched, with over 100 turtles making it out. Since then, another 165 nests have been counted across the islands […]
Endangered hawksbill turtle saved from poachers
(CNS): A large, critically endangered hawksbill turtle was found tied up on an undisclosed beach Sunday and rescued from poachers by DoE conservation officers and the RCIPS. The turtle was still alive when found, and thanks to the fast response of the rescuers, she was released back to sea after a health assessment.
Turtle nests in Cayman reach decade high
(CNS): The Department of Environment recorded more turtle nests in 2022 than any single year over the last decade. A total of 858 nest were counted, 169 more than the previous high in 2017, when there were 689 nests. The increase resulted from a steep rise in the number of green turtle nests, which topped […]
DoE officer rescues green turtle from poachers
(CNS): Attempts by poachers on Grand Cayman to take a nesting green turtle were prevented at the weekend when Department of Environment Conservation Officer Chadd Bush found the animal trussed up on Saturday night. The turtle was flipped on her back with her flippers tied with rope.
Nesting loggerhead lost to poachers on Brac
(CNS): Poachers on Cayman Brac caught one of the very few loggerhead turtles that nest on that island as she crawled up the beach to lay her eggs Wednesday night, the Department of Environment has said. DoE enforcement officers and the police followed up on the report early Thursday morning but with no success. Loggerhead […]
Poaching of nesting turtles continues
(CNS): A nesting green turtle was lost to poachers at Sand Hole in West Bay recently, after the CCTV camera there was turned off for just over a month because of a lack of funds. As a result, the National Conservation Council has voted to move money set aside for turtle-friendly lighting to pay to […]
Green turtle rescued from cemetery
(CNS): An endangered green turtle was rescued from a cemetery on Sunday by a volunteer with the Department of Environment after the animal became disorientated and got trapped between graves. Amanda Brown found the turtle on her beach walk at the cemetery in West Bay. This is another example of how beachfront development and the […]
Cops lend hand in protecting turtles
(CNS): Unable to call on their usual army of some 70 volunteers because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Environment has enlisted the help of the RCIPS to monitor turtle nesting sites this season, which began at the beginning of last month. Some exemptions were granted for DoE staff to monitor beaches but crews […]
