Humans aren’t the only ones drawn to Harbour Village Beach Club’ serene, sandy shore. The resort recently welcomed what scientists believe is a repeat guest: a critically endangered Hawksbill sea turtle, who laid a nest of about 100 eggs near where it likely hatched 17 years ago.
The hatchlings are expected to emerge from the eggs and scramble through the sand and into the sea between September 5 – 15. To capture the moment and help educate people about these magnificent creatures, Harbour Village is working with Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire to set up a live web cam and nightly watches near the nest beginning the week of August 18. Updates will be posted at http://www.harbourvillage.com/turtlecam.html
"This is something we want to share not only with our guests but with everyone interested in learning about sea turtles and how we can help protect them," said Jean-Marc Petin, General Manager of Harbour Village Beach Club. "We will catch the hatching live on camera, and Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire will provide volunteers to sit with the nest each evening around hatching time to document the event and notify guests when to come and watch the turtles come out of the nest."
Harbour Village Beach Club is located on a four-acre private peninsula on Bonaire’s mainland. The nest, currently marked and roped off so as not to be disturbed, is located near the resort’s dive shop.
Bonaire is home to three of the seven species of sea turtles in the world: hawksbills, green turtles and loggerheads. Hawksbill turtles weigh up to 185 pounds and prefer calm, tropical waters near coral reefs. They come ashore only to nest. The turtle who laid the nest at Harbour Village came onto the beach on July 12. A Hawksbill turtle laid her eggs near the same spot in 1997. Since sea turtles usually return to next where they hatched to nest, local scientists believe the turtle was likely one of those hatchlings.
In addition to sea turtles, the Caribbean waters surrounding Bonaire teems with a wide variety of marine life. The island is designated as having the most pristine coral reef environment and most species of fish in the Caribbean by the NOAA and is consistently named Best Overall Dive Destination by Scuba Diving Magazine’s Reader’s Choice Awards. Due to the island’s leeward location outside of the hurricane belt, and its consistently pleasant climate, crystal-clear visibility prevails at any depth and gives an enthralling view of the undersea landscape. On land, Bonaire is also home to the world’s largest pink flamingo nesting grounds.
Dive sites just off Harbour Village’s shore include the shipwreck of the 60-foot "Our Confidence," located just 50 yards out, while another popular dive site, "Something Special," is also a short swim away. The resort also offers florescence night diving, allowing guests to use special UV lights to see the astounding array of florescent colors emitted by underwater animals and corals.
For more information on Bonaire and Harbour Village Beach Club, visit the luxury hotel’s website at http://www.harbourvillage.com/ or call 1-800-424-0004. To access the resort’s Turtlecam, visit : http://www.harbourvillage.com/turtlecam.html.
how interesting and a nice way to learn about turtles
I love turtles. Thanks for sharing some interesting facts about them