36 Years ago today

Doug and I got married, how time flies when you are having so much fun.

Answered the doorbell a few minutes ago and received these beautiful flowers that smell so good.

Thanks Doug, looking forward to celebrating this evening at Angelos.

We saw them

And what an incredible sight.

We arrived at Matura beach to await the arrival of our guide. The guides are volunteers from a group called Nature Seekers. At one time the turtles were slaughtered and the hunters would carry what they could. An adult turtle can weigh 1000lb, what couldn't be carried would be left on the beach which in time looked like a graveyard. The T&T government declared it ilegal to slaughter the turtles and they are now a protected species in T&T. Nature seekers also host volunteer students from aroud the world who take part in the tagging and recording of the turtles. If a turtle comes ashore and is not tagged with a number, this will be done with a small metal tag in the rear flipper. The volunteers also microchip the turtles so they can be tracked anywhere in the world.

We had a short introductory speach and were also given the rules for turtle viewing. No bright lights are allowed on the beach, the guides had infra red lights to guide us. We set off along the beach which was pitch black with just the sound of the Atlantic Ocean.

After walking for what seemed like a very long time over very uneven sand the group was stopped by the guide and he pointed out a turtle that was coming in with the tide. It was huge, we estimated it to be about 8ft. Once she had made her way up the beach and settled on a nesting site we were allowed to approach her from the rear. She was already well into making her nest using her large rear flippers to scoop out the sand out to a depth of 2-3 feet. By the time she was finished she was covered in sand herself.

Once she starts laying her eggs, she goes into a trance and is not aware of anything around her, so at this time we were allowed to take photographs and touch her. It took a relatively short time for her to lay her 100-120 eggs and then cover them with sand and again with the huge flippers firm the sand over the nest to protect the eggs. The turtles return to the beach several times during nesting season and it is estimated that one turtle will lay approximately 1000 eggs. Unfortunately the survival rate for the hatchlings is not very high and it is estimated that only two turtles per nest survive to adulthood.

Whilst we were watching this turtle, we were lucky enough to see two more come ashore and start building their nests. After they have completed the egg laying, they rest for approximately 45 minutes and then head back out to sea.

We also saw some hatchling about 2 days old and were allowed to handle them. However it is important that they are left on the beach and not returned to the sea by a human. The hatchlings instincts of heading into the sea stays with them and that is why they always return to the beach they were hatched to nest as an adult.

We left the beach at about 11pm and decided we are definately doing this again next year but earlier in the season as there are many more turtles. I never thought I would ever experience something like this.

Enjoy the pictures.

Chillin!!!!!!!!!!!

Doug is off today for Corpus Christi Day.

The sun is shining the pool is inviting.

We be chillin and liming.

Hope you haven't been holding your breath!!!!!!!!!

Waiting for pictures of the Leatherback Turtles.

I went to the Forestry Commission to get our permits......................I should have known it would not be easy. Apparently they only take so many people on to the beach at one time and the night we wanted was fully booked.

So I booked our permits for Saturday 25th, I don't know if I can contain my excitement until then.

We have two holidays this week, Monday is Labor Day and Thursday is Corpus Christi.

Today we are going to Chagaramus as it is Fathers Day, I am treating Doug to an ice cream and later tonight we are having a whole rack of ribs between us. On our way back from Chagaramus we are calling into a colleage of Doug's for drinks and nibbles and tomorrow we are going for a BBQ with another colleague and family.

Life is good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our Little Adventure

On saturday we packed a picnic lunch and set of to explore the east side of the island. We were heading to Matura where the leatherback turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. There is no access to the beach during nesting season without a permit.

You are probably wondering why we went all that way when we couldn't access the beach, very simple, next Saturday evening between 8pm and 11pm we have a guide booked to take us on to the beach to view the turtles, however we wanted to see what the drive was like in daylight first, the majority of the journey was easy until you actually enter Matura and take the track which is only partly paved down to the beach approximately a 30 minute careful drive, it will be fun in the pitch black. This week I have to get our permits from the Forrestry Commision. We are excited and can't wait to see this spectacular sight.

Feeling like Dora the Explorer we then went on to Salybia where we had a walk on the beach which was lined with coconut trees. Unlike the beaches we are used to, Salybia is on the Atlantic Ocean and the sea is so different from the Carribean Sea with big breakers. There were very few people on the beach, we enjoyed our lunch under a coconut tree and soaked up the sun.

We left to come home in the afternoon, arriving back to have a dip in the pool before dinner. We both decided it was a lovely day and can't wait to actually see the turtles. Hopefully there will be lots of pictures to show.

It has been a while..............

Since I have blogged, life has been a little hectic.

We had a wonderful time with Stefanie and Tim when they visited. The following week I flew to the UK to visit family.

My Mum had been in hospital ( the first time in her 91 years) so I went home to give Keith & Viv a break and to help Mum with a few jobs that needed doing in her home. Keith & Viv had a week away in Brixham Devon, which was much needed as they are Mum's primary care givers and don't like to go away for longer than the odd weekend. This break was well overdue.

Fortunately the weather was very good so I didn't have to buy warm clothes once there, however I did do some Christmas shopping as things are very limited in Trinidad and we are hoping to spend Christmas here this year so I stocked up on Stocking Stuffers and a few other gifts.

Whilst I was away Doug spent a week in Nassau Bahamas on a work project, bad timing I think as I would have liked to join him.....next time maybe. Apart from work he did manage a little sightseeing and beach time.

We were hoping to have gone on a Leatherback Turtle trip when I returned, unfortunately that has fallen through so we are now trying to put together our own trip to see the turtles lay their eggs and hopefully another one to see the babies head back to the sea in July and August. It amazes me that every Leatherback Turtle will head to the beach on which they were born to make a nest and lay their eggs, nature is wonderful.

Since I returned I have been on a roll doing a lot of sewing that I will take back for Stefanie. We are heading back to Canada for a visit in early July, we have our annual physicals booked whilst we are there. Doug will only stay for 10 days but I will be there until the 23rd July. Hoping to visit Toronto Zoo with Stefanie and Tim and also get a visit to The Primitive Heart in St George. Stefanie is also trying to arrange an open house for a Christmas in July Sale. It is going to be a busy time.

Wet season started here on June 1st, Saturday we had a storm that filled the pool to almost overflowing, haven't seen so much rain for a long time. Sunday was a beautiful day and we spent the afternoon in the pool relaxing.

It is hard to believe that we have been here almost a year......where has the time gone?