Places to see sea turtles

After a few days on Boa Vista, you might start to wonder whether the rest of the island is as barren as where you are. And yes, it is. But the best way to figure it out, is a tour of the island. A full loop of Boa Vista takes a whole day in a 4x4 on dirt tracks, in sand dunes, over stony desert, and occasional on a stretch of real road – with potholes of course. Rent a car with a driver, since they know the right track from the wrong ones.

A suggestion for a route could be:
Sal Rei (town) – Rabil (village) – Deserto Viana (desert) – Povocao Velha (village) – Praia da Varandinha (beach with caves) – Praia de Santa Monica (beach) – Curral Velho (ruins and salt lake) – Praia de Joao Barrosa (turtle nesting beach) – Baobab (a lone Baobab tree) – Ervatao (a surf beach) – Fundo das Figueiras (village) – Santa Maria shipwreck – Sal Rei

Take a look at the photo gallery for more details.

The diving around Indonesia’s Gili Islands is nothing short of spectacular, with enough variety to keep even the fussiest divers busy for more than just a few days. Accessible also from north-western Lombok, dive sites abound around the three Gili islands. It is a great place to see Green Sea and Loggerhead Turtles, some of which grow to one and a half metres in diameter. Reef sharks are common along the reefs, which abound with tropical fish species of all kinds, ranging from moray eels and Napoleon fish to lionfish and clownfish. The corals are diverse and splendid in colour, and for those looking for something extra, there are several excellent wreck dives. If that’s not enough, the Gili after-dive scene might just win you over.

Satang Island, Pulau Satang Besar, is a small island off the coast of Sarawak and part of Talang-Satang Marine National Park, a sanctuary for sea turtles. The marine national park includes three other islands, but only Satang Island is open to visitors. It has a small turtle hatching area and there is a chance to see turtle landing, where sea turtles (mostly green turtles but also Hawksbills) come ashore to lay eggs (April to September is peak season). Some great snorkelling can be done around the island at low tide, where you might bump into a turtle under water. Though it's possible to stay overnight on Satang Island in some very basic accommodation, most people visit the island on a day-trip combination with some dolphin watching (Irrawaddy and Indo-pacific humpback dolphins) at the river mouths of Santubong and Salak Rivers off the mainland.

Every night from July to January tens, even hundreds, of sea turtles come out of the ocean and crawl laboriously up on the beach for lay their eggs. About six weeks later hundreds of small baby turtles dicking themselves out of the sand and rush to sea. This beach is a wet dream for any animal lover and an unique opportunity to experience the endangered Leatherback which still comes here to nest, though most of the sea turtles are of the Olive Ridley species. Though the beach is protected by the military and rangers there are few limitations for visitors, so please act responsible and do not disturb the turtles in any way. Visiting turtle sites (when done right) can actually help saving them, since the "tourist money" can give poor local communities a reason to protect the sea turtles.

This beach and protected area is a nesting ground for the Green turtle. It's possible to witness the egg laying from close distance and later see other nests hatch, where over a hundred small turtles race to the ocean. It's close to impossible to get there without a car - as elsewhere in Oman. The peak season is March to September.

The south and south-western coast of Sri Lanka is pretty much one long palmy beach. These white stretches of sand are nesting grounds for a range of sea turtles, mostly Green turtle, Olive Ridley, and Hawksbill, but also Loggerhead and the rare Leatherback. During peak nesting season (December to March) you have a pretty good chance to bump into the turtles that are patrolling the shore. Though they are super cute, please give these amazing creatures some space and discourage any trade with their shells (or any other part) - yes, locals still sell them and moron tourists still buy them.

If you like snorkelling or diving, Puako is the place where you will find serenity in Hawaii. A healthy, protected marine reserve awaits you under the water. Literally hundreds of turtles live along the reef, and they congregate in specfic areas for their cleaning. Along the reef, you can see turtles allowing schools of fish to eat all the parasites off their shells, an amazing site to see. White tip reef sharks, morey eels, and garden eels are also frequent residents of the Puako Reef.