I’m neither a marine biologist nor a wildlife enthusiast but when the saw the opportunity to work with sea turtles pop up when scouring the web for my next gap year escapade I was instantaneously won over, because like many people who’s ever been scuba diving i bloody adore them!
I’m from England that minuscule drip of land mass located north of France where we drink tea and everyone knows the queen. the “norm” British student would take his/hers gap year to Australia, New Zealand or Thailand so I perceived myself a bit of a tear away when i opted for the Caribbean.
My travels took me to the “land of spice” otherwise known as Grenada (something to do with nut meg apparently) to the “Ocean Spirit”s sea turtle conservational shelter, I was gobsmacked by how scenically beautiful Grenada was in all fairness, I had initially landed myself on a lavish exotic holiday for an entire month for the fraction of the going price..Lucky me aye.
The conservation had taken in over 4000 students like myself since the trust was first established in 1999. It prioritises in the rehabilitation of the dwindling numbers of sea turtles in west indies region from the mothering task the eggs hatch right the way down to the emigrational swims the turtles embark on every year, the organisations hard work and immense efforts have benefitted the reformation of the turtle population in the west indies hugely and i couldn’t wait to get my hands sunk in and play a part of the rehabilitation these remarkable creatures.
My lodgings we’re basic to say the least but who was i to complain, Caribbean lavishness and turtles for sub $400 I don’t think i could have got a better deal even if i was to sleep under the stars beside turtles giving birth.
The conservation lacked the techie tools and nifty gadgets that you’d expect to find in other trusts and organisations of this type, but this certainly didn’t hold them back, there we’re turtles in all forms, shapes and sizes all over the place! Hundreds of little white eggs we’re placed under lampshades and in make-do incubators everywhere you looked, the beach was half dug up and covered in craters and dents where the turtles had laid their eggs at night, It was turtle galore!
My key role for the first week was to manoeuvre the fragile hatchlet’s from under the lampshades into shallow pools of water where they we’re fed and nurtured for, words cannot explain how delectable baby turtles are, there little shells and big black eye are cute enough to make even the most cold hearted of people go weak at the knee’s.
There were three other students from the south-west of England who were also lodging in my quarters although my stay was sure pleasure there’s was a part of the university course (How Lucky!) which meant they spent most of their time researching and crunching data while I would go snorkelling and venturing into the towns and cities
I don’t think I will ever get over the sheer size of full an adult leather back sea turtle there bloody monstrous! I’m talking about the size of a full grown cow and probably heavier as well due their iron clad shells, turtles are basically prehistoric it’s amazing their even in existence to this very day, in theory they’ve basically outlived evolution.
I thoroughly enjoyed strapping up in my baggy wet suit and getting lost in the underwater kingdom especially when the largest colonies of sea turtles of the face of the planet were elegantly gliding around me from every angle. These slow moving hostile creatures suddenly transform into graceful and agile beings the same instance their submerged into their first nature…The sea, it’s easy to see why the amazing “Ocean spirits trust” was initially set up as turtles are possibly the most fascinating creatures that humble our oceans’ and it would be of been an utter shame to have seen them filter out my other aquatic creatures which once blessed our oceans.
My travels we’re unique to say the least and undoubtedly trumped my friends who went to the Australasia’s like all other stereotypical British students. The experience was undoubtedly an eye opener, not only to the caribbeanic cultures and wildlife but how polluted and dire state our world has become i have certainly taken away a lot and recommends it to anybody else looking to have a voluntary holiday.
Article wrote by Jonathan Verrall a travel enthusiast who works for tropical the All inclusive Barbados Holidays specialists.
Image by ©haddock
