About Turtle Conservation South Africa Project

Project Details

Turtles have complex life histories that involve long, solitary periods at sea before returning to the (original) beach they hatched from to nest.During nesting periods turtles and nests become increasing susceptible to both natural and human threats.Nesting turtles are easily caught for their meat and shells and are easily disturbed by lights, vehicles driving on the beach, and an array of human activities that can disrupt the nesting process.Natural threats to nests and hatchlings include beach erosion, flooding tides and natural predators (honey badgers, bush pigs, ants).Non-natural threats to turtle nests and hatchlings include harvesting of eggs, non-natural predators such as dogs and trampling by cars or people.

Along the Maputaland coast small but important populations of leatherback and loggerhead turtles nest during summer months, and is the only location in the Indian Ocean where leatherback turtles nest. Leatherback turtles are considered critically endangered on the IUCN red list, and although extensive conservation efforts are being made, abundances of nesting leatherback turtle on the Maputaland coast remain low.  In recent years the population of nesting turtles in Maputaland has increased, partly as a result of legislation banning all vehicles from driving on KZN beaches, as well as continued monitoring and research efforts from scientists to ensure their conservation. 

Accommodation

Volunteers are lodged in dorm style rooms sharing with other volunteers.  There is a communal toilet and shower block with hot and cold water and a dining/common room and kitchen where volunteers relax in the evenings.  There is also a boma for barbeques, along with a fully equipped kitchen with gas stoves, electrical oven, fridge and freezer.Volunteers prepare their own meals and are responsible for daily cleaning of their own living space.  There is a camp cleaner for maintenance and servicing of other communal areas. 

WEI staff stays on site in the marine camp and it is an ideal opportunity for volunteers to gain firsthand knowledge from experienced staff about the challenges and rewards of living and working in a marine environment. 

What will you do?

Each night volunteers will be required to walk along a specified route along the beach searching and recording details on nesting turtles and nests.A follow up shift the following morning will involve volunteersretracing the same route to record any additional nests where eggs were laid after the night shift had finished.A series of key variables need to be recorded on data sheets whenever a nesting turtle or nest site is encountered.  Turtle species, locations (GPS), size and nesting activity will be recorded.Turtles will be photographed and also checked for tags, and if no tags are present, new tags will be placed on the turtle.At nesting sites the egg sizes and numbers will also be recorded.During the hatching season, nest success and the number of hatchlings will be recorded for each nest.At completion of each shift in the field, volunteers are required to return to the research camp to process and enter data that has been collected throughout the shift onto computers.  Training on how to perform monitoring and research tasks will be provided by the marine biologists and they will continue to support volunteers throughout the monitoring period.  The monitoring period is limited to 5 months of the summer season from 01 November to 31 March every year.

Pictures

Past Volunteer Comments