In Mayotte, five species of marine turtles inhabit the lagoon: the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), the hawksbill turtle(Eretmochelys imbricata), the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) and the olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). Among them, two species nest on the island’s beaches: the green turtle and the hawksbill turtle.
In southern Mayotte, Grande Saziley Beach is the island’s main marine turtle nesting site and a site of exceptional importance for their reproduction. The Naturalists of Mayotte Association conducts year-round scientific monitoring of nesting activity at the site.
Over six years, 575 nights of monitoring have been carried out on this beach alone, recording 13,866 turtle emergences and 4,309 nesting events. This monitoring has revealed seasonal patterns in nesting activity as well as a two-year cycle, characterised by alternating years of high and low activity. Monitoring is ongoing to collect additional data, assess the stability of this pattern and confirm the cycle. All data are entered into the regional TORSOOI database, enabling marine turtle populations to be monitored at the scale of the Western Indian Ocean.
