MSC Cruises’ Ocean Cay Marine Reserve has welcomed its first loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings (pictured). More than six nests and hundreds of loggerhead turtle hatchlings have been identified since last month, a culmination of MSC’s successful project to return Ocean Cay and its surrounding waters to its former status as...
MSC Cruises’ Ocean Cay Marine Reserve has welcomed its first loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings (pictured).
More than six nests and hundreds of loggerhead turtle hatchlings have been identified since last month, a culmination of MSC’s successful project to return Ocean Cay and its surrounding waters to its former status as a thriving environment for indigenous flora and fauna.
All nesting sites were marked and are monitored regularly, in order to protect these vulnerable species, and ensure their best chance of survival.
Procedures are in place within the island-wide Biodiversity Management Plan to encourage the turtles and assure their protection, particularly during their egg-laying season.
Ocean Cay’s successful coral restoration program has transformed the waters around the former industrial site back into a rich marine ecosystem.
As a result, marine life around Ocean Cay is thriving, and the waters have become popular with loggerheads, as well as green sea turtles and hawksbill turtles, both of which are sighted frequently.
During the restoration of Ocean Cay, a freshwater wetland was identified as an important ecological feature that supports the avian population, which was safeguarded, and as a result, a number of different bird species have also been seen on the island, including breeding pairs, a resident burrowing owl, and an increase in migrating populations.
