On May 22, during a private charter boat tour, Captain Ryan and his guests discovered a rare sighting of a Leatherback Sea Turtle nesting at Rogues Bay, Tortola.
As Captain Ryan approached the shore, he noticed two men observing a dark mass approximately 4.5 feet long. Initially confused about what it was, Captain Ryan quickly realized that the large dark mass he was seeing was, in fact, a majestic Leatherback Sea Turtle covering its freshly laid nest of eggs, according to Island Roots Charters.
At 4.5 feet long, this turtle was still only half the size of a fully-grown adult, which can reach up to 8-9 feet in length and weigh over 2,000 pounds. This type of rare sighting was confirmed by Willow Melamet, sea turtle program coordinator at Friends of Virgin Islands National Park, in a recent email in which she noted the rarity of the event, referencing that St. John had only two leatherback nests laid in April/May of 2022, the press release stated.
It is illegal for tourists to touch or play with the sea turtles in any way in the Virgin Islands and elsewhere because Leatherback Sea Turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are considered endangered under the Endangered Species Act, with only an estimated 34,000 nesting females remaining globally as of 2024. This figure is alarmingly low, less than the population of St. Thomas. Due to their endangered status, it is illegal for tourists to touch or interfere with these turtles in any way in the Virgin Islands and beyond, the release stated.
Check out the videos of the Leatherback Sea Turtle sighting on YouTube.
