Leatherback Turtles in French Guiana (Dermochelys coriacea)

[aessorree]

Its all about them leatherbacks

[jeschkle]

its huge

[TheHelios123]

This is a good video are beautifully, we need the nature

[rapttie]

amazeing! there really something! great video too. Letherbacks are so breath takeing. keep up the good work!

[TrEvADiZasTA]

Wow, what a beautiful animal. Nice camera work too. Love the turtle going into the ocean at sunset (or sunrise?).

[ro19gat]

Hey Mel its David (frenchys mate from Darwin) good to see you are still making great videos !!

[ronaldsd4]

so sad

[snoozeyoulose19]

By the way, is that a dog in the background at 2:20?

[Lepidochelys]

Yes indeed, they destroy the nests and eat the turtle eggs. Most of them don't belong to anyone or are "free" so they are one of the biggest threats there... And it's hard to keep them away... Some associations elswhere in the world use little cages they put on nests as soon as the eggs are burried to protect them. Seems to work quite well, they should do the same there but it is a huge beach with heaps of turtles. I guess this would be too hard to monitor, that's why they don't use this method.

[snoozeyoulose19]

Is it common?It's quite rare in Cape Verde, where there are also stray and part-owned dogs (which roam), that they actually destroy the nests and eat the turtle eggs.They are actually the friendliest dogs I've ever met! It has happened occasionally but in Cape Verde food scraps are in the town so i suppose the dogs don't really venture onto the rather secluded beaches by themselves at night, Were you on holiday there or live there?This really is a fantastic video,I'm watching again as I comment!

[Lepidochelys]

Thanks for the comments snoozeyoulose19 ! No, I was not in holiday, I was part of a scientific team, studying leatherback and olive ridley turtles populations. As nice as they can be, feral dogs seemed to be a big deal for the turtle eggs there in Yalimapo (French Guiana), not like in Cape Verde... They are also full of parasites and diseases so you can't really touch them like you seem to do in your country :)

[Emdooey]

@Lepidochelys What a shame. They may not be able to save them all but you'd think they'd do it for some. These guys need all the help they can get.

[Ladygaga252]

@snoozeyoulose19 yeah they run wild everywhere in costa rica and places like this

[coorporation]

@snoozeyoulose19 OMG IT IS :( im going to cry

[snoozeyoulose19]

Brilliant, patient camera work!

Just been doing turtle conservation in Cape Verde, islands off the West coast of Africa. Take a look at my videos (not in your league though I'm afraid). French Guiana looks beautiful too!

You are the woman!

[sifusocky]

You are simply the man, dude. You are the Man.

[Lepidochelys]

Cheers dude!I wish I was the Man...but I'm a woman ;)

[sifusocky]

lol, compliment fail! :D

[Jalro0o7]

hehehehehehehe. great video and funny comment:)

[LAROEKOE]

LOLOLOLOLOL

[goforwand123]

Wonderful video. You were very priveleged to see this. Such wonderful animals! Thanks for posting!

[marilynrolonrivera]

the leatherback turtles are my favorites. Great video! so complete.

[tnx4dVENOM]

u coudlve helped the mother burry her eggs

[starwars6rulz]

that would be a very bad idea

[Tazero22]

Amazing video, long live the turtles!!!

[luvscats69]

Sooo cool!!

[movieguru95]

great......amazing......fabulo­us!!!

[DoTaXnUbIe]

Lol cute..

[polkadotified]

that's such an amazing video! they are such cool creatures!

[asldkjvlkajeaeg]

poor thing couldnt get up...

[djwilko7]

they can weigh up to 143 stone, saw it in zoo mag, now thats heavy

[Lepidochelys]

They actually can weigh up to 500kg for up to 2m long. They are the biggest marine turtles in the world. We have 7 marine turtles living on the Earth and all of them are endangered...

[djwilko7]

oh is that it only 78 stone , looks lke magazines facts are wrong then, only 7 wow , so rare to see one then? lets hope all then little eggs hatch and we get plenty more

[Lepidochelys]

Sorry my mistake : 7 species of course !!

[djwilko7]

ok , still SAVE THE SEA :)

[mrpoopypants12]

great video that is amazing

[christianloader]

really nice video. would have been amazing if you could get some underwater footage of it returning to the sea, only a few people in the world have ever filmed one underwater.

[Lepidochelys]

Yep I could have get some because I have the gear but unfortunately the quality of the water up there didn't allow me to film underwater... Thanks for the comment anyway ! Cheers. Mel

[moondawgydawg]

What a pretty thing! Thanks

[jc0503132]

That has to be so physically demanding. It's amazing.

[didier973]

Nice to see this nice beach at rising/falling sun and the turtles without the mosquitoes ;-)