Research and Monitoring Report 2010 - Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire

In 2010, we completed our 8th year of systematic research on the sea turtles of Bonaire. In this report you will read about the methods and results of our sea turtle research and monitoring activities, including nesting beach monitoring, foraging ground surveys, and turtle migration tracking.

Four of the Wider Caribbean’s six species of sea turtles are found in the waters of Bonaire. They are: the hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbracata), the green turtle, (Chelonia mydas), the loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea). The hawksbill and leatherback are considered “critically endangered” throughout their global ranges; and the green and loggerhead considered “endangered”. Bonaire offers a relatively safe haven for foraging juvenile hawksbill and green turtles, as well as critical nesting grounds for hawksbill, loggerhead, green, and the occasional leatherback.