Late Monday night, Water Authority workers in East End discovered sea turtle hatchlings on the road, drawn away from the ocean by artificial lighting. Thinking quickly, they followed advice to carefully collect and release them.
DoE staff later found and excavated the nest confirming it was a rare hawksbill nest, only the 4th recorded in Grand Cayman in the 2024 nesting season. It was one of the largest hawksbill nests ever recorded in Cayman with 215 eggs, 202 of which had hatched. Sadly, two hatchlings were found dead dead from exposure after the misorientation and many more than that likely also didn’t survive after heading in the wrong direction.
This highlights the urgent need to make our coastal areas safe for sea turtles by reducing bright lighting near beaches and/or switching to turtle friendly lighting. The DoE do not know the location of every nest so we’re unable to protect unknown nests like this one.
Hawksbills are critically endangered worldwide, and with fewer than 10 nests recorded annually in Cayman, every hatchling counts!
A huge THANK YOU to the Water Authority – Cayman team for thinking quickly on their feet and stepping in to help!
If you ever see a turtle or hatchlings in distress or danger, please call our 24-hour Turtle Hotline on 938-NEST (938-6378) or contact DoE’s Chief Conservation Officer on 916-4271.
Let’s protect Cayman’s sea turtles! 🏝️💙 #CaymanSeaTurtles #HawksbillConservation #TurtleFriendlyLighting