Recent News

Trott Family Presents $2000 Donation To BZS
Friday, January 10, 2014

In order to honour their grandparents, the family of the late Wakefield and Mildred Trott recently embarked on their own fundraising campaign in order to make a donation of $2,000 to the Bermuda Zoological Society.


Turtle Missing Flipper Ready To Return To Wild
Friday, January 10, 2014

After over a year of recuperating at the Bermuda, Aquarium, Museum & Zoo [BAMZ] after sustaining a severe injury that saw him lose one of his flippers, a turtle is ready to be returned to the wild.


Bermuda’s Coral Reefs featured in new book
Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Bermuda’s coral reefs have been featured in a new book which helps to showcase them to a global audience, and the information contained in it will be a key reference for our school children, Minister of Environment and Planning Sylvan Richards said today.


Two fish recognised as unique to Island’s waters
Tuesday, December 03, 2013

A pair of Bermuda fish species have been recognised by the Smithsonian Institution as being unique to Bermuda’s waters.


Two Unique Bermuda Fish Recognised
Monday, December 02, 2013

Scientists at the Smithsonian Institution recently recognised two new Bermuda endemic fish species. The Collette’s half beak and the Yellowfin Chromis have been known for some time, but they were only recently determined to be unique to Bermuda’s waters.



About

Governance
About Us
Newsletter
Latest News
Gift & Bookstore

Contact

General Inquiries

(441) 293-2727

info@bzs.bm


Latest News

All the latest updates and news from the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo, one of Bermuda's leading visitor attractions!

Report Sea Turtle Nesting Events
Jennifer Gray
Friday, June 09, 2017

Jennifer Gray, Bermuda Director, Bermuda Turtle Project

Are you an early riser? Do you like to walk beaches?

Be a part of our Citizen Science Volunteer Programme... take a walk and report sea turtle nesting events.

In 1870 Bermuda's Attorney General declared that there was no nesting of sea turtles in Bermuda giving us an approximate time reference for the local extinction of our nesting green turtles.

Sea turtle nesting events in Bermuda; of 1990 (Loggerhead), 2005 (Loggerhead) and 2015 (Green) give us a glimmer of hope for the future and suggest a possibility that sea turtles are nesting sporadically hidden from human eyes.  All three of these nests were discovered fortuitously by observant members of our community and we encourage everyone to be aware of the tell-tale signs of sea turtle nesting and report any events to the Bermuda Turtle Project.

Historic records suggest that sea turtles in Bermuda nested between late April through June and certainly June, July and August would provide the optimal sand temperature for a sixty- day incubation period of eggs.

To identify the tracks (crawls) of a nesting sea turtle observations should be made early in the morning when they are fresh and unaltered by wind and rain.  Whenever possible photographic records should be obtained.  The tracks of a nesting sea turtle should emerge from the high tide mark and lead to a disturbed area of sand at the back of a beach with another track returning to the sea.  Loggerhead tracks are approximately three feet wide while Green Turtle tracks are typically four feet wide.

BZS_160609_3a_new.jpg
Photos: Sea Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission

BZS_170609_3b.png

BZS_170609_3c.png

Hatchlings emerging from a nest may not leave clear tracks depending on the type of sand and wind conditions but when they do many small tracks from the nest to the sea may be observed.  These should not be confused with the tracks of a hermit crab.  If there are bright lights the vicinity of the beach hatchlings may become disoriented and have trouble finding the ocean.

                       Tracks from disoriented hatchlings.
                  Their tracks should lead straight to the sea.                                                                      Hermit  Crab tracks
BZS_170609_3d.jpg
                               Photo: Sea Turtle Conservancy

Help us understand the status of sea turtle nesting by reporting any tracks or nesting events to the Bermuda Turtle Project by calling (441) 332-2966.