🐢 Sal Island's Secret: A Night with the Loggerheads and a Snorkeling Surprise


Sal Island in Cape Verde is a haven for marine life, and my recent trip brought me face-to-face (or flipper-to-face!) with one of its most incredible residents: the Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta). From witnessing the ancient ritual of nesting to underwater encounters, it was an unforgettable adventure.

🌜 The Miracle of Nesting

The Loggerhead is the most common nesting species here, and learning about their nocturnal routine was truly captivating.

Imagine the scene: Under the blanket of the Cape Verde night, a massive female Loggerhead hauls herself onto the beach to begin a process that has played out for millennia.

  • Laying the Clutch: She digs her nest and proceeds to lay a substantial clutch—around 100 eggs, each about the size of a ping pong ball.

  • A Master of Disguise: Once the eggs are laid, her work of protection begins. She carefully covers the nest with sand. But she doesn't stop there; she meticulously camouflages the spot by scattering sand all around, an essential technique to hide it from sharp-eyed predators.

  • Returning to the Waves: Her duty complete, she returns to the sea, leaving the next generation to develop. In about 60 days, those eggs will hatch, and the tiny hatchlings will make their own perilous journey to the ocean.

It’s a powerful reminder of nature's delicate balance and the solitary dedication of these magnificent creatures.

🌊 Diving with the Giants

My personal encounters weren't limited to the nesting beaches! During my dives, I was lucky enough to meet a Loggerhead in its own element.



I easily distinguished it by its namesake feature—the large, powerful head that makes the species so recognizable. The first sighting was breathtaking, but what made the experience even more special was that I had the opportunity to see the same turtle again on a subsequent dive! It felt like a personal connection, a brief moment of mutual acknowledgement in the vast underwater world.

🐠 The Juvenile Coastline

 My snorkeling sessions along the coast provided a different, yet equally interesting, perspective on Sal's marine ecosystem.

Here, I noticed that I was mainly seeing juvenile turtles of other species. This observation makes perfect sense! Coastal areas are vital feeding and growth areas—the nurseries—for young populations of various sea turtle species. It’s a crucial zone where they forage and mature before moving out into the deeper ocean.

🌟 Final Thoughts



Sal Island truly offers a dual experience: the awe-inspiring, silent dedication of the adult Loggerheads on the beaches at night, and the vibrant, bustling underwater world where juveniles and adults alike thrive.

If you ever visit Cape Verde, be sure to respect these incredible creatures and their nesting sites. It’s a privilege to share their space, both above and below the surface.


Here's a video of this incredible experience:




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