Loggerhead Turtle Nesting -- Boa Vista

Boa Vista hosts one of the largest loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nesting populations in the Atlantic, with females returning annually to the same beaches between June and October. The loggerhead is the sole member of the genus Caretta and is classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Females have an exceptionally low reproductive rate: they lay around four clutches of eggs per season, then enter a period of reproductive inactivity lasting two to three years. Sexual maturity is reached between 17 and 33 years of age, and individuals may survive for 47 to 67 years.