Turtle nesting
At night in May and June.
Jordan Beard — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jordan Beard — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Andy from Pittsburgh, United States — CC BY 2.0 · Andy from Pittsburgh, United States — CC BY 2.0 · Jordan Beard — CC BY-SA 4.0
Grande Riviere beach is a stretch of dark sand between forested hills and a small river mouth, in a remote village on Trinidad's north coast. It is a major nesting beach for leatherback turtles, the largest sea turtles, which come ashore at night to lay their eggs. The village was settled in the 1860s by migrants from Venezuela and Tobago who grew cocoa. When cocoa prices collapsed in the 1920s the village declined, its population falling from 718 in 1931 to 334 in 2000, until nature tourism revived it. The beach is now protected and patrolled by a local association from 1 March to 31 August. At night the huge turtles drag themselves out of the surf, dig a hole in the sand, lay their eggs and return to the sea, with nesting at its peak in May and June. From June to August hatchlings scramble down to the water. By day you walk the beach or the riverbank, with freshwater pools and a small waterfall in the forest. Watch turtles only with a trained guide, and use no lights or flash. The village is 54 km in a straight line east of Port of Spain and about 100 km by road, so it is best to stay overnight. A permit is needed on the beach between 18:00 and 06:00. A 2024 report gives US$15 for non-national adults, permit included.
At night in May and June.
June to August.
Fresh pools and a small fall.
Grande Riviere village, north coast of Trinidad, between Toco and Matelot
At night from March to August, peaking in May and June.
Yes, watch with a trained guide and no lights.