DERC Turtle Report 2024/5

Ponta do Ouro - Prepared by Angie Gullan

The Ponta do Ouro turtle project runs annually between the months of October and March. 

Leatherback turtle nesting in Ponta do Ouro 12/2024

This report has been produced to present the activities and achievements throughout the season. It provides an overview of the effort, data collection and results related to the nesting, stranding and poaching of turtles. 

The focus area is the southernmost bay of Mozambique, namely Ponta do Ouro (north beach) to Ponta Malongane and Ponta Point to S. Africa border (south beach). The data collected and presented is part of a larger project undertaken by Maputo National Park and Centro Terra Viva and is here to give a summary for the community, public, supporters and donors.

History: Mozambique’s turtle research dates back to the 1970's however, it was only in the mid-1990s that monitoring was resumed in the southern reaches of Mozambique.

With the likes of the Lombard Family and the support of KZN wildlife and the Mozambique Turtle Working Group, so saw the birth of a project that, now under the watchful eye of the Maputo National Park, employs ±50 local turtle monitors.

The monitoring is supported by the Maputo National Park (representing ANAC), Peace Parks Foundation, Pierre Lombard and Family, Machangulo Group and Dolphin Encountours Research Center.

EFFORT AND RESULTS

During the 2024/5 turtle season, local monitors Agostinho, Paulo and Joao undertook 178 dedicated turtle walks; 91 on south beach and 87 on north beach.

This effort resulted in 453 hours of monitoring between October and March. 

55 loggerhead and 3 critically endangered leatherback turtle tracks were recorded. The first tracks were recorded on 24/10/2024 and the last on 23/03/2025. Twenty-nine tracks on south beach and 28 on north beach.

Three new tags were deployed by monitors on loggerhead turtles, and two tagged animals were seen: a loggerhead and a leatherback with two tags, one of which was of S.African origin.  The largest measured was the leatherback at 1,24 meters.

A total number of 2641 hatchlings were recorded, which included 1961 hatched loggerheads and 166 hatched leatherbacks. Hatched egg cases were up from previous years. The first hatchling was recorded on 09/01/2025 and the last on 29/03/2025.

Two dead strandings (animals washed up on the beach or found at sea, either dead or alive) were recorded during the season, a loggerhead in Techobanine, which showed either signs of poaching OR propeller and another in Mocumbo.

Hawksbill, loggerhead and green turtles were encountered by guests, guides and volunteers while out at sea and snorkelling the shallow coastal reefs numerous times.

In closing, we would like to extend our gratitude to our partners, including Maputo National Park, DP World Maputo, the German Dolphin Conservation Society, Bwild, turtle monitors, volunteers and the community that reported nests, tracks, and hatchlings to DERC. 

For those who would like to support this coming turtle season, please be in touch with us to ensure the continuation of this long-term project. Salaries need to be paid, head torches & GPS replacements, batteries bought, and data sheets printed, to name but a few. This project costs ±Mtn96 000 p/season.