A female leatherback turtle nesting near Westbrook on Friday afternoon offered a group of beachgoers a once-in-a-lifetime sighting.

Nesting rarely happens in the daytime and leatherback turtles typically come ashore further north near the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

The marine reptile hauled itself ashore around midday and spent just over two hours nesting near the dune forest before returning to the waves.

Lifeguards and residents quickly notified the Sharks Board, which arrived within 25 minutes to cordon off the area. Beachgoers were kept at least 50 metres away, watching from behind barrier tape.

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Leatherback turtles, the largest of all sea turtles, can weigh up to 900kg and are easily identified by their rubbery, leather-like shell with seven distinct ridges. Their dark blue-grey, mottled bodies and large forelimbs make them unmistakable.

Female leatherbacks typically nest at night during high tide and can lay up to 1 000 eggs in batches of 80-140, spaced 8-12 days apart.

Hatchlings, only 50-60mm long, emerge after 60-70 days. Females return to breed every 3-5 years, but only a small portion of juveniles reach adulthood.

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Westbrook Better Together founder Salome Botes was among the first residents to witness the event.

“It was absolutely amazing, an experience of a lifetime,” added Botes.

“I’ve never seen a turtle nest before. I was totally overwhelmed that such a majestic creature can be so calm while people are around watching. I was with my friend Linda Meredith, who kept saying ‘this is so awesome!’”

Leatherbacks feed almost exclusively on jellyfish and gelatinous plankton and reach sexual maturity in just 4-5 years, much faster than other sea turtles (12-15). However, they face threats from fishing gear entanglement, plastic pollution, and historical harvesting.

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Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife regional marine ecologist, Santosh Bachoo said the turtle was likely migrating to its usual nesting beach at iSimangaliso.

“It must have had a batch of eggs ready to be laid before getting back to its usual nesting beach. Instinct and hormones meant she stopped at the nearest beach,” said Bachoo.

She successfully completed her nesting and returned to the water.

“There were no tags on her, and we didn’t get a chance to tag her. We have disguised the nest, so if all goes well, we hope to have hatchlings in a couple of months.”

Experts will regularly patrol the site to ensure the safety of the nest.

Bachoo emphasised the importance of contacting the beach manager, lifeguards, or KZN Marine Strandings Network when you encounter a turtle to ensure that the situation is managed as best as possible.

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“The turtle might be sick and unable to swim or dive and may be in need of medical assistance,” he added.

The 24-hour KZN Stranding Network number is 031-3288222 (office hours) or 031-3288060 (after hours). This is for all marine animals, including dolphins, whales, seals, snakes, turtles, penguins and seabirds.

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