JULY 2000

Presently several species of marine sea turtles are active with nesting in the Guiana Shield region. The beachs along the coasts of Suriname, French Guiana and Guyana are important locations for the laying of eggs. The GSMP is planning to produce media material about these ancient and endangered creatures and the conservation efforts for their protection. The GSMP is working closely with the Guyana Marine Turtle Conservation Society (GMTCS) and the WWF . In the near future we will have more reports, stories and photos as well as documentary programmes.

Brief Overview

Sea turtles are large, air-breathing reptiles that inhabit tropical and subtropical seas throughout the world. Their shells consist of an upper part (carapace) and a lower section (plastron). Hard scales (or scutes) cover all but the leatherback, and the number and arrangement of these scutes can be used to determine the species.

Sea turtles do not have teeth, but their jaws have modified "beaks" suited to their particular diet. They do not have visible ears but have eardrums covered by skin. They hear best at low frequencies, and their sense of smell is excellent. Their vision underwater is good, but they are nearsighted out of water. Their streamlined bodies and large flippers make them remarkably adapted to life at sea. However, sea turtles maintain close ties to land.

Females must come ashore to lay their eggs in the sand; therefore, all sea turtles begin their lives as tiny hatchlings on land. Research on marine turtles has uncovered many facts about these ancient creatures. Most of this research has been focused on nesting females and hatchlings emerging from the nest, largely because they are the easiest to find and study.

Thousands of sea turtles around the world have been tagged to help collect information about their growth rates, reproductive cycles and migration routes. After decades of studying sea turtles, much has been learned. However, many mysteries still remain.

From Sea Turtle Survival League