Barbados: Home of the Sea Turtles

Do you want to see Barbados from another perspective? Maybe you can view the tropical paradise the same way a turtle would...

Barbados: Home of the Sea Turtles

Barbados is where the hawksbill and the leatherback sea turtles call home and the healthy population is now protected and monitored closely to maintain their livelihood and importance to the eco-system. 

The island provides a range of tours and cruises focusing on these delightful creatures. Most tours take place on catamarans that provide guests with lunch, masks and snorkels. Enjoy the incredible scenery as you sail down the coastline, sipping delicious rum punches and indulging in a delicious lunch before snorkeling with the turtles. 

Turtles are very sociable creatures and tend to stay in the same area to ensure they follow a routine. They can be seen playing and feeding along the inshore reefs and certain monitored areas have meant that the animals have become accustomed to humans. 

Moonlight cruises are also available where you can see turtles nesting depending on the time of the year. Pregnant turtles come up from the water and lay their eggs in the soft sand on the shore. The eggs hatch into tiny newborns who make their way back to the sea. 

The Barbados Sea Turtle Project (BSTP)

Established in 1987, this project promotes the conservation of sea turtles in Barbados and aims to maintain and educate the public about the importance of the sea turtles' survival. 

Made up of a joint activity between the Department of Biological & Chemical Sciences at the University of the West Indies, the Cave Hill Campus and the Fisheries Division in the government of Barbados, the group strives to enlighten people about the conservation efforts. 

They rely heavily upon the generosity of the public, the hotel staff and their guests to monitor the nesting and hatching activity happening on the beach during the season. Some local fishermen also feed and care for them as well as scraping barnacles of the shells and protecting nesting areas. 

The main season is normally between April and December with the main hatching happening during the winter. 

The project personnel assist with nightly surveillance of any beaches known to be nesting sites to protect potential babies being accidentally killed or the pregnant females being poached. They also tag and monitor turtles in near shore waters as well as satellite tracking post nesting turtles. The team include a 24hour response and monitor any signs of disease that can afflict the animals. 

Would you like to see these amazing creatures for yourself?

Speak to our luxury Barbados villa and apartment specialists today

+44 (0)1244 62 99 63

enquiries@elegant-barbados.com