Arriba, arriba Aruba and Mother Turtle…. we’re joining the countdown to the hatching of their chicks.
Now I’m indebted to my old friend (less of the old, Bandanaman) and award-winning Travel blogger and Caribbeanophile Tara Povey for showing me the marvel that is a turtle march.
Tara videod her turtles under the cover of darkness in Barbados, waddling out of the sea and onto the hatching beaches.
While the rest of us went snorkelling (translation: swallowing) off our catamaran on our expedition.
Although I did get to see me my turtles when I returned to Bim the next year.
Heroes in a half-shell
Now because we like to share the love in good old Caribbean style I’m shining the spotlight now on Aruba, off the coast of Venezuela.
Our Aruban friends have invited us to join them in counting down to their turtle hatches this summer and autumn on Eagle Beach.
Some of their breeds have in fact started early… with the first Leatherback nest laid this season for Bucuti & Tara resort.
Not Our Tara though… or is it?
Don’t worry that you might have missed out, the Green, Loggerhead and Hawksbill sea turtles are still to pop their heads up.
The turtle package
Now we’ve trodden the turtle path here before in our occasional Travel Pack series but make no apologies for going turtley overboard here again.
So pay attention at the back, there will be questions later…
Now our heroes in a half-shell really, really love Aruba which is a constituent part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Because they travel 1,350 miles every year from Canada to the warmer beaches of Aruba to hatch.
So what’s our excuse?
Mother Turtle
Well, it is their own birthplace and they obviously want their little ones to be Arubans too.
Mother Turtle lays an average of seven nests in one season with each averaging 80 viable eggs.
After an incubation period of 55 to 75 days, hatchings emerge from the sand and make their way to the sea.
And little scene-stealers them they often use their moonlight as their guide.
Now Buculi & Tara know their turtles and their hatching habits and they help their visitors witness the turtle trail.
They will call, or text, you when a turtle shows signs of hatching so you can get out and see it for yourself.
Now Modern Man is told that witnessing his offspring being born is beautiful.
But hands up, squeamish old me found it a challenge… the Scary One should have been in my shoes.
A nice clean turtle hatch is more for feardies like me.
Godmother Turtle
Now every Mother Turtle needs a Godmother Turtle.
And in Kuramathi and Kandolhu in the Maldives that was German carer Vanessa and who, admission time here, did have her favourite… Selma.
Vanessa, and anyone who devotes their life to turtles, will tell you exactly what you need to do to protect them.
In Aruba, that would be Edith, president of Turtugaruba, who teaches visitors about the life cycle of sea turtles in Aruba.
And how best to protest them.
So Arriba, arriba Aruba and Mother Turtle.
MEET YOU BY THE BEACH