Gabon: Turtles Fight a Losing Battle

As most people who've seen them will attest, Gabon's leatherback turtles are a majestic sight. "The leatherback turtles of Gabon are the largest sea turtles in the world. They can be seen on the open sea, and they can grow as long as three metres and weigh 850 kilogrammes,” says Guy Philippe Sounguet, President of Adventures Without Borders (ASF) - a non-governmental organisation. The females lay about 120 eggs on the beach during the breeding season, which lasts from January to March. Only half of these eggs hatch, and up to 45 percent of the hatchlings are eaten by predators before they make it to the relative safety of the sea. Turtles have managed to survive this natural rate of attrition for years. But, human intervention is now upping the odds against them substantially.