Since 1997, the Canadian Sea Turtle Network has worked with coastal community members to increase public awareness of marine turtle conservation issues and to study the biology of marine turtles in the Northwest Atlantic. We have been successful in contributing new information that is crucial to the conservation of these species, particularly the leatherback sea turtle.
However, we still know very little about how frequently smaller, “hard-shelled” types of sea turtles enter our coastal waters. These other species of sea turtles typically prefer warmer waters than those around coastal Nova Scotia, but on rare occasions we find cold-stunned green turtles, Atlantic Ridley turtles, and loggerhead sea turtles stranded on our beaches in the fall.
These incidents are most common along the shores of the Bay of Fundy, as well as in the Port Hood/Judique area of Cape Breton Island.
As part of our efforts to research all of these endangered species, the Canadian Sea Turtle Network launched the Sea Turtle Beach Patrol in 2016. The Sea Turtle Beach Patrol project aims to put dedicated effort into searching for sea turtles that wash up on our beaches, in the hope of better understanding the frequency and distribution of these animals in our waters.
We accept volunteers from coastal communities around the Canadian Maritimes to monitor their local beaches for stranded animals from November through January.