A moment to appreciate and… to learn to respect
There are 3 sea turtle species in São Tomé: Green Turtle, Leatherback Turtle and Hawksbill Turtle. All of them are part of Tatô Programme — a project to protect the turtles which dates back to the 1990´s.
In Africa, besides Sao Tome, Leatherback Turtle can be found in Angola, Mozambique and Gabon. Is 1,60m long and weighs 500kg.
The Green Turtle is dominant in tropical environments, coastal waters and around the islands. They can be found — in the African Continent — in Guinea Bissau. The Green Turtle has 1,20m long and weighs 230kg.
Hawksbill Turtle is the most tropical of all species: Indonesia, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Jamaica are other countries where you can see them spawn. Has 80cm and weighs 100kg.
THE PROCESS...
At the end of the day — the spawning takes place from sunset to dawn — the turtles leave the water to finish the spawning process. They´re monitored by 2 beach guards who collect all data: number of eggs and turtles, time, and other relevant aspects.
IMAGE GALLERY
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Jalé Beach, in the south of the island, is the perfect place to watch this phenomenon.
The spawning takes place from September to April.