Sea turtles (and nesting) on Klein Curacao

Although not many people know it, Klein Curacao is really worth a visit on your next trip to Curacao! This small island has all sorts of things to offer, including the iconic, special lighthouse and the famous large shipwreck on the island. However, did you know that you can also see sea turtles on Klein Curacao?

The turtles of Klein Curacao

When you take a walk on the beach at Klein Curacao, you run the chance of encountering sea turtles. The reason the turtles can be seen so close to shore is because there are underwater plants growing here that they like to eat. This ensures that you don’t even necessarily have to look for sea turtles underwater in the sea, but you can see them from just a few feet away! The nice thing about these turtles is also that they are used to tourists by now, so they are not afraid of you and therefore do not run away. However, handle the turtles with care! It is important not to touch them because they cannot resist human bacilli and viruses. Just by touching them, you can cause them to get sick. Besides, they look very sweet, but if you make a turtle angry, it can easily bite your finger off so beware! You are most likely to see the turtles on the right side of the beach during your walk on Klein Curacao.

Seeing sea turtles in the water

Another way to admire the sea turtles is to go snorkeling along the coast. You can float by here quietly, without scaring them, and so you can see the turtles up close in their natural habitat. If you plan to go diving around Klein Curacao you may also see sea turtles! Especially reef diving is incredibly beautiful. Besides the sea turtles, you can see all kinds of colorful fish, sponges and also coral here!

Breeding of sea turtles

When sea turtles live somewhere, they obviously need somewhere to breed. This is what sea turtles do on Klein Curacao beach. To do this, they first find a suitable, quiet spot and then they lay their eggs in a nest. When the eggs hatch, the baby sea turtles climb out of their nests and head toward the sea. From such a nest, not just 4 to 5 turtles either, but often dozens of baby turtles come from one nest! However, always stay at a distance when you see a nest of turtle eggs, as it is an endangered species, so it is important for the animals to breed and live undisturbed and safe.