Magdalena Grand Beach Resort, Tobago, Protects Endangered Sea Turtles
Magdalena Grand Beach Resort (www.magdalenagrand.com) is working with Save Our Sea Turtles (SOS) Tobago (www.sos-tobago.org) to maintain the population of the ancient Leatherback sea turtles, along with the Hawksbill and Green sea turtles that nest on the beaches of Tobago.
"We know how important the sea turtle population is to our eco-system and are doing our best to save the sea turtles in Tobago by preserving their natural habitat," said Howard Spittle, general manager of Magdalena Grand Beach Resort.
Magdalena Grand Beach Resort placed signs along the beach warning guests to use caution when walking in the sand at night to prevent disruption of the turtle nests. In addition to the property's efforts to keep beaches safe, SOS comes every evening, monitoring the area for turtles coming ashore and securing the safety of nests, eggs and hatchlings from people walking on the beach at night.
The resort also painted some of its outdoor lighting near the beach red to reduce disorientation of hatchlings trying to make their way to the sea. The horizon over the water is naturally the brightest part of the sky at night, and this glow is what directs hatchlings out to sea, but brightness from inland can cause hatchlings to either head inland or crawl in circles and get lost on the beach.
The property offers its guests the opportunity to leave their name at the front desk in case a turtle is spotted on the beach. Once the sighting has been reported, the front desk will call each visitor and inform them of the chance to witness this rare and remarkable display of the turtles as they lay and bury their eggs from a safe distance, designated by SOS volunteers.
Turtle watching is an educational and unforgettable experience. It is never truly predictable when turtles will come ashore to lay their eggs, nor is it predictable when hatchlings will take their first steps toward the ocean.
However, each spring the shores of Tobago are scattered with Leatherback, Hawksbill and Green turtles and as evening calls the turtles to the safer heights of the sand, each female will lay between 100 and 200 eggs in her chosen spot. Hatchlings favor dusk or rainfall to embark on their journey and the entire display occurs between March and November on the sublime seashores of the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort in Tobago.
Magdalena Grand Beach Resort features 178 rooms with 22 one or two-bedroom suite combinations. The spacious suites offer a private balcony, hot tub and parlor containing a pull-out sofa-bed. The resort's two-bedroom suites have a king-size and two double beds while the resort's one-bedroom suites include the option of either one king-size or two double beds.
