On this recent trip that took me (Steff), my colleague William and our clients to Mozambique, we had the opportunity to go see turtles come on land during the night to lay their eggs. This happens only from November to January and sightings are not guaranteed. It is an optional activity but highly recommended if you are there at the time this spectacle is taking place.

The trip started from the lodge we stay at in Kosi Bay, Amangwane. We were picked up by 17:00h and driven in a 4x4 further south to a beach in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. The whole drive was less than 2 hours but quite bumpy and sandy so it was good to have an experienced driver and alocal that gave us heaps of information along the way. A few locals still reside in this park as they chose to stay there, even when the area was declared a park and thus became protected. However it is partly those people that during the months of November to January are taking up the duty of being monitors or guides taking people to see the turtles.

So when we arrived at the beach, we waited for about 45 minutes for our local guide to collect us and give us a safety briefing and the rules for these coming hours. No artificial light! No torches, no phones as the turtles orientate themselves with only the light of the moon, the stars and the white on the waves. Any additional light will distract them. No going to the water as you might come in the way of a turtle that is about to emerge from the water and if you are in their way, they will simply turn around. And there are blue bottles and the hospitals are quite far away! Walk in a closed group and don’t disperse. Listen to the guides instructions. When a turtle is being found coming on land, the group needs to stay put and wait until the guide calls the group as they need to wait for the turtle to dig the hole and start the process of laying eggs in order to not be disturbed. Only when the turtle is laying eggs she can’t be distracted. Not by light or movement … that is the time for us eager watchers to come and observe this rare sighting. All clear? YES! Let’s go …

We walked for about 10 minutes when a loggerhead turtle was seen going on land and we were told to wait. After about 40 minutes, the first group was allowed to go closer and we saw them taking pictures. But it didn’t seem right as the whole group walked towards the beach, flashes going up in the darkness and we could make out the body of the turtle, going back to the sea. Our guide came to collect us and said that this one failed to make the nest and returned to the ocean before even starting to lay her eggs.

So we continued to walk along the beach for what seemed like an eternity. The moon was only a line but surprisingly enough we could see quite well and never once did anyone of our group loose the footing or step on something. Then we saw the red light of the monitors that are scanning the beach all night long. Our guide quickly told us to wait at the side and he was going to give us a sign with the flashlight once we could approach. So we sat down and waited, and waited … and waited some more. This activity is not for the impatient people. It takes a turtle up to 45 minutes to dig the nest before she even starts laying her eggs. This time we were the only group and after quite a long time we finally saw our guide approaching and with a smile and what sounded like happiness he said “you can come now, she is laying her eggs!”.

We approached this massive turtle and saw that the monitors put a torch at the back so one could observe the eggs dropping into the nest. I don’t know what it was but all of us were so in awe and quite full of emotions to be watching such a moment. This loggerhead female was about 1 meter in length and the monitors checked if she had a tag. She didn’t! So we even got to see how they tagged and measured her. We spent a good 20 minutes with this beautiful creature and not once did she seem distracted.

She was stunning and it was such a privilege to be so close to her. Once she started to cover the eggs with sand by using her back flippers, we took our last pictures and slowly went out of her way as to not disturb her on her way back to the ocean.

A loggerhead turtle only lays eggs every 2-3 years and she will go to the beach where she hatched herself many years before. She will lay about 1000 eggs in four clutches of which most of the times only ONE will make it to adulthood! And if that one is a female, she will come back to the very same beach years later to lay her own eggs.

No wonder we were so touched after witnessing this special moment!