Conservationists, resort staff and guests help turtles emerge from their sandy nest and reach the surf, as nature enthusiasts beyond Bonaire watch on the resort's "Turtle Cam."
Bonaire, Dutch Antilles / ACCESSWIRE / September 8, 2014 / Guests and staff at Bonaire's Harbour Village Beach Club, joined by the island's sea turtle conservationists, watched and helped 138 critically endangered Hawksbill turtle hatchlings emerged from their nest near the resort's dive shop and scramble safely through the sand and into the surf.
The first of the baby sea turtles emerged last Wednesday from their nest, where the mother turtle laid her eggs on July 12. Only a few dozen hatchlings crawled out of the nest initially, followed by three more the next day. With some help from Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire volunteers, Harbour Village dive shop staff and resort guests who gently dug away some of the sand, about 100 more hatchling were freed Friday night.
"Usually the hatchlings emerge all at once, but sometimes those who were in the more deeply buried eggs need a bit of help," said Harbour Village Beach Club general manager Jean-Marc Petin. "Everyone here was thrilled to be able to make sure the little guys made it into the water."
To capture the moment and help educate people about these magnificent creatures, Harbour Village worked with Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire experts to set up a live web cam and nightly watches beginning in mid-August near the nest. "We wanted past guests and nature lovers everywhere to be able to be part of the excitement," Petin said.
Harbour Village Beach Club is located on a four-acre private peninsula on Bonaire's mainland.
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.
Sea turtles come ashore only to nest. The one 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 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 teem 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 resort's website at http://www.harbourvillage.com/ or call 1-800-424-0004. To see photos and videos of the hatchlings, visit the Harbour Village Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/harbourvillagebonaire and https://www.youtube.com/user/hotelharbourvillage
About Harbour Village Beach Club
Harbour Village Beach Club is located within an exclusive beachfront enclave on the unspoiled Caribbean island of Bonaire. Its well-appointed guest suites are nestled amid lush tropical gardens, just steps from its private, white-sand beach, and feature opulent decor and thoughtful details like secluded lanais and double hammocks. Amenities include a First Class 5 Star PADI Instructor Development Center offering onsite scuba classes and certification and a picturesque, 64-slip marina. The resort is also home to the acclaimed La Balandra restaurant, designed after an antique Spanish ship and giving the feeling of sailing with its dining deck located on a jetty extending out to sea, as well as a full-service spa offering professional reflexology, aromatherapy, therapeutic and relaxing couples massage. Harbour Village Beach Club was named Bonaire's Leading Hotel for seven consecutive years and is Bonaire's only member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
About Bonaire
Located eighty-six miles east of Aruba, the island of Bonaire offers year round sunshine, low annual rainfall, and has been designated as having the most pristine coral reef environment and most species of fish in the Caribbean by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. The Reef Environmental Education Foundation lists eight out of almost 90 of Bonaire's dive sites in their top 10 in terms of species richness in the Caribbean -- abundant underwater life includes more than 300 species of tropical fish and over 120 different types of coral. The island was recently voted #1 in the Caribbean & Atlantic by readers of Scuba Diving magazine in categories that include Best Shore Diving (Snorkeling); Best Beginner Diving; Best Macro Diving; Best Advanced Diving, and Best Underwater Photography. Bonaire is able to maintain this environment and receive awards for diving year after year because its surrounding waters have been protected as the Bonaire National Marine Park for over 30 years.
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SOURCE: Harbour Village Beach Club