Sea Turtles

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Most likely to  
Ecotourism or Mass Commercial Tourism?  
 
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Is This Ecotourism?

• You Decide

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A Case Study of Grenada, West Indies
Ocean Spirits Inc.
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• Economy
• Agriculture
• Tourism
• Fisheries

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Levera Pond and Sugar Loaf Island
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Leatherback Dermochelys coriacea
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• Leatherback Dermochelys coriacea
• Pelagic
• Widest distribution
• Dives gt1000m
• Jellyfish diet
• Reaches 2m in length

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• Ecology
• Highly migratory
• Age at sexual maturity, 15-30?
• High nesting beach fidelity
• Nesting interval of 2/3 years
• High mortality of eggs hatchlings
• Sex of hatchlings determined by sand temperature

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• Status
• All species Endangered / Critically Endangered
  (IUCN Red List)
• Studies on pacific leatherback population
  suggest possible genetic extinction in 30 years
• Still utilised in many countries for meat, eggs
  and shell
• Bycatch, disease and plastic related deaths

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• In Grenada Turtles are used for
• Meat
• Eggs
• Oil

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Bycatch
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Slaughter on nesting beaches
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Egg Harvest
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Habitat Destruction - Sandmining
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Grenadas Nesting Population
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• A Solution?
• Turtle watching tours
• Show how money can be made from turtles in a
  sustainable way
• Demonstrates worth of a living turtle compared
  to a dead one

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The Ingredients

• Turtles

• Tourists

• Knowledge experience

• Local interest

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Who did we work with?

• Local community
• Community groups
• Government
• Hotels
• Tour operators
• Schools

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• Did it work?
• Two tours per week in first year
• National interest
• More demand than carrying capacity would allow
• Approx 1500 profit into community fund
• Happy staff

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So now its up to you
Is turtle watching in Grenada an example of
ecotourism?
In deciding you must consider Is it profitable?
Environment and wildlife Community
Under each heading write down the positives and
negatives to help with your decision
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Green Chelonia mydas
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Hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata
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Phase I Levera Hotel Development
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