Caterpillar-like Footprints Are a Sign: Searching for Eggs “With the Feeling of a Mother Turtle”

The loggerhead sea turtle conservation program at Kamogawa Sea World began in 2002 with the making and opening of Sea Turtle Beach, a special lot of sand that would allow for spawning on the museum’s grounds. Eggs laid in surrounding areas likely to be flooded by heavy rains or typhoons are protected by staff members and moved to the Sea Turtle Beach. Eggs laid in places where there are no problems with hatching are fenced off and watched over together in collaboration with locals.

But how do you look for sea turtle eggs in the sand?

“During the egg-laying season, our staff patrols the beach looking for footprints that closely resemble the tracks of a caterpillar,” says Yoshimura. “If there is a hollow (body pit) of one to two square meters at the end of a track, there is a good chance that it is a nest. We then use our experience and intuition to carefully shovel sand by hand and dig up the eggs.”

A square meter or two is roughly the size of a tatami mat. Since only a small portion of the area contains eggs, staff members are taught to search for them “as if they were a mother turtle.” The eggs are carefully reburied. They are not to flipped or turned, as this a change in positioning could cause abnormal development and hatching.