Matura Beach

Matura is a long dark-sand Atlantic beach on Trinidad's east coast and one of the densest leatherback nesting grounds anywhere: several thousand females come ashore each season to lay, and the beach is a protected area with access controlled during those months. Nature Seekers, the community group formed in 1990 by local people who had previously hunted the turtles, runs the patrols, the tagging and the guided night visits.

What you actually see

• The leatherback nesting - one of the densest nesting beaches in the world.
• The night patrols - guided visits with the community group that runs the site.
• The tagging work - the monitoring programme run on the beach each season.
• The community turnaround - a group formed by former hunters now protecting the turtles.

When to go

March to August is the nesting season, with the peak around April to June. Visits are at night with a permit and a guide. Outside the season access is unrestricted but there is nothing to see.

Honest expectations

A permit and a guide are compulsory in season and must be arranged in advance. Visits are at night and involve waiting on a dark beach, sometimes for a long time. Lights and flash photography are prohibited as they disorient the turtles.

Nearby

Sangre Grande is southwest, and Rio Seco is north.