Leatherback turtle
Marine LifeBest time: Nov – Mar
The enormous leatherback shares the loggerhead’s summer season at Cape Vidal, hauling out of the surf on warm nights to lay a clutch of eggs above the tideline. It can weigh more than half a tonne and is one of the largest reptiles alive.
Watching one dig, lay and cover her nest before returning to the sea is a quiet, patient, deeply moving thing, and a highlight of a summer stay.
When and where to see them
Leatherbacks nest between late November and March, seen on the same guided turtle walks as the loggerheads. Night walks on the nesting beaches are only permitted with a licensed guide, and always at a respectful distance.
More marine life
Marine Life
Dolphins
Working the backline at first light
Dolphins work the backline at Cape Vidal at first light, and they are one of the reasons an early walk on the beach is worth …
Marine Life
Humpback whale
Winter migrants passing remarkably close inshore
From June to November, humpback whales stream past Cape Vidal on their winter migration from the cold feeding grounds of the …
Marine Life
Loggerhead turtle
A summer nesting visitor to Cape Vidal's beaches
From late November to March, the beaches of Cape Vidal become a nursery, and the loggerhead is one of the two ancient species…