Over the past few years, turtle poaching in Mozambique’s Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve (PPMR) has effectively disappeared.
The last poaching incident involved a visitor to the area; monitors reported him immediately and he was arrested.
This gives an idea of how passionate the community living around the reserve is about turtle conservation.
Vicente Matsimbe, a law enforcement officer for the PPMR, has been monitoring leatherback and loggerhead turtles on the beach between Ponta do Ouro and Santa Maria since 2009.

He oversees the community turtle monitors and knows these turtle species as well as he does his own family.
Community involvement
Sixteen of the 42 turtle monitors operate from Ponta Milibangalala, which is 50km north of Ponta do Ouro.
These monitors walk the beach every night during the turtle nesting and hatching season between October and March.
This involves collecting data on nesting loggerheads and leatherbacks, and monitoring the hatchlings as they emerge from their nests in January and February and head out to sea.
The monitors can cover 20km each in a night, every step of the way in beach sand. For many months, they get little sleep.
Bongani Mabuswane, one of two supervisors in the group, has been monitoring turtles for 10 years.
“This job is about respect for animals, and I learn new things every day. We’re the guardians of the turtles and there are definitely more turtles every year,” he says.
Ramiro Reis, the second supervisor, has monitored turtles for the same length of time.
“We understand the importance of protecting turtles, and nobody kills turtles anymore,” he says.
“Our job is important and we talk about turtle conservation with our families and friends too.
Children here grow up understanding turtle conservation, which is why they create safe passages for hatchlings to reach the sea.
The community is now very protective of the turtles.”
Ping-pong-ball eggs
Loggerhead and leatherback turtles come ashore at night to nest.
When nesting, a single female turtle slowly excavates a hole in a sand dune.
She begins by scraping away the loose, dry sand, using all four flippers, and then scoops out an egg chamber in the damp sand with just her rear flippers.

When this is as deep as she can make it (roughly 45cm), she deposits between 60 and 100 eggs, each the size and shape of a ping-pong ball.
Then, just as methodically, she scrapes sand back to cover and secure the eggs.
These will hatch in 45 to 55 days.
Interestingly, the sex of the hatchlings is determined by the temperature inside the nest.
After covering her nest, the exhausted female loggerhead lumbers back to the ocean.
Some turtles swim away immediately, but others lie in the shallow waves, mustering the energy to head out to sea again.
In two or three years, this turtle will be back to lay more eggs.
How she and other female turtles navigate to ‘their’ beaches year after year is still unknown.
Throughout this time, none of them ever sees any of their eggs hatch.
Predation by wildlife is a real threat to the eggs; hatchlings are taken by ghost crabs, seabirds and fish.
Once turtles reach adulthood, they have fewer predators, with sharks being the main threat.
There is good reason a female turtle lays so many eggs; statistics indicate that out of 1 000 eggs, only three turtles finally make it to maturity.
Committed volunteers
Pierre and Yvonne Lombard, volunteer turtle taggers and data collectors, work these beaches for six weeks a year during nesting season, and have been doing so for 23 years.
Their main aim is to tag the turtles, and last year they tagged 125 new loggerheads and 12 new leatherbacks in the 30km of beach they patrol.
The warden of the PPMR and the Maputo Special Reserve, Miguel Gonçalves, says that having turtle monitors is a win-win conservation concept.
“We started with six monitors and now have 42.
The value of live turtles is high now as they offer salaries to these people.”
The vigilance of the turtle monitors has had a profound effect on the turtles’ survival rate.
Miguel says that in nearby Machangulo, the community used to feed turtle eggs to their goats to make them fertile, and men ate the eggs for the same reason.
“In the past eight years, we’ve had only two turtles poached, and both incidents were reported by the monitors.
The poachers were caught and fined, and one was driven out of the village by the community.
“There’s a team at work here; it can’t be done by one person.
Our biggest success is that the beach is well patrolled and the community has taken ownership of the turtles.
This is important because turtle monitoring is forever.”
There are plans afoot to upgrade some of the monitors to turtle guides, so that tourists can walk with them on the beaches.
cialis in usa – cialis pharmacy brand cialis pills
order plaquenil generic – purchase plaquenil pill order generic plaquenil
stromectol online pharmacy – stromectol over the counter ivermectin brand name
cephalexin 125mg ca – buy cephalexin pill order erythromycin 500mg pill
order fildena 50mg sale – antabuse drug order antabuse without prescription
order budesonide sale – cost quetiapine 50mg purchase ceftin online
purchase careprost online cheap – brand methocarbamol 500mg order trazodone 100mg online
oral sildenafil 100mg – buy sildenafil 50mg online cheap buy zantac 300mg pill
tadalafil 20mg oral – order tadalafil generic stromectol online canada
cheap cialis for sale – ivermectine the blue pill ed
online casinos for usa players – free slot games online purchase prednisone online cheap
prednisone 20mg for sale – buy isotretinoin 40mg generic generic isotretinoin
order amoxil 250mg generic – female viagra sildenafil sildenafil price
order tadalafil – cialis over the counter cialis tablet
ivermectin 3 mg otc – stromectol pills for humans order azithromycin 500mg online cheap
zithromax 250mg cheap – azithromycin 250mg us methylprednisolone 4mg pills
order baricitinib 2mg generic – oral priligy 90mg order priligy 60mg
metformin 1000mg uk – glucophage pills lipitor online buy
buy generic lopressor 50mg – cialis online buy buy tadalafil tablets
clomid 50mg oral – buy clomid online cheap zyrtec 10mg brand
purchase desloratadine pill – buy loratadine online cheap aristocort 4mg oral
buy cytotec 200mcg sale – purchase prednisolone online cheap synthroid 75mcg price
purchase viagra for sale – purchase gabapentin generic neurontin pills
cialis 10mg canada – tadalafil online buy cenforce 100mg ca
diltiazem online order – buy diltiazem acyclovir online
atarax pill – order atarax pill generic rosuvastatin
buy zetia 10mg sale – purchase ezetimibe generic order celexa 40mg pills
buy viagra 150mg online – cost lisinopril 2.5mg purchase cyclobenzaprine online cheap
order sildenafil 150mg – cheap cialis 10mg order cialis online cheap
ketorolac ca – toradol 10mg over the counter baclofen 25mg cost
cost colchicine 0.5mg – colchicine 0.5mg uk strattera over the counter
cheap viagra – buy methotrexate 5mg for sale plavix sale
order sildenafil 100mg sale – order viagra 150mg buy viagra 100mg pill
esomeprazole 40mg brand – esomeprazole online order promethazine over the counter
cialis online canada – Cialis order female cialis tadalafil
provigil pills – modafinil 100mg canada causes of ed
order generic isotretinoin 20mg – buy accutane 40mg without prescription order zithromax 250mg pills
lasix 40mg over the counter – sildenafil uk buy sildenafil 150mg for sale
buy tadalafil online cheap – viagra australia sildenafil for men over 50
purchase cialis generic – tadalafil 5mg pill buy warfarin 2mg pill
order topiramate 200mg pill – buy topamax for sale cheap sumatriptan 50mg
avodart price – tadalafil india purchase cialis pill
cost viagra 50mg – sildenafil 25mg for sale cialis pill
best ed pill – prednisone 10mg over the counter prednisone 5mg price
accutane 20mg pill – amoxicillin 250mg us amoxil 500mg oral
order lasix 100mg – furosemide 100mg price azithromycin pills
doxycycline 200mg ca – chloroquine generic chloroquine 250mg drug
purchasing cialis on the internet – Buy generic cialis buy viagra 100mg for sale
buy generic provigil 200mg – order generic sildenafil order viagra 150mg without prescription
causes of ed – ed treatment review deltasone 5mg tablet
accutane 20mg uk – amoxicillin 1000mg price order celecoxib
order tamsulosin 0.2mg generic – purchase ondansetron pills order aldactone 25mg without prescription
simvastatin sale – simvastatin 10mg without prescription academic writing support
online casinos real money – write essays online buy an assignment
online casino – order finasteride pill order ampicillin 500mg
cost ciprofloxacin – buy generic cipro 1000mg tadalafil us
purchase viagra sale – generic sildenafil online apotheke vardenafil rezeptfrei
prednisolone brand – canadian cialis cialis 20mg pill
buy generic augmentin 1000mg – generic clavulanate order tadalafil 40mg pill
trimethoprim price – buy viagra 150mg sale viagra 25mg for sale
cephalexin 125mg uk – generic cephalexin 125mg erythromycin 250mg drug
cefuroxime 500mg pills – ceftin 250mg cheap cialis 40mg brand
order ampicillin 500mg sale – buy cipro pill cialis 5mg drug
cheap amoxicillin generic – vardenafil for sale online oral vardenafil 10mg
ivermectin 3mg pill – ivermectin 12 mg for sale levitra online buy
buy doxycycline 200mg generic – order tadalafil order tadalafil 40mg without prescription
azithromycin treats buy zithromax z pak dosing 5 days [url=https://azithromycinfest.com/]azithromycin in usa[/url] how much does azithromycin cost
order tadalafil 20mg online – tadalafil 20mg pills modafinil us
order prednisone 10mg pill – deltasone 10mg cost brand isotretinoin 20mg
purchase amoxil generic – buy azithromycin 250mg viagra pill
buy zithromax online finance azithromycin over counter walmart azithromycin
dosage for stromectol stromectol tablets for humans for sale
order prednisolone 20mg generic – prednisolone order sildenafil 50mg cost
cheap ventolin uk otc inhalers for asthma walmart
rfxoq
j1eyp
svok
buy furosemide 40mg – ivermectin 6 mg for people stromectol order
d02i7
uk0x8
[url=http://novrazbb.com/#]hi14[/url]
lasix 500 mg tablet price
furosemide
furosemide pill
[url=https://furosemidevs.com/]lasix[/url]
lasix pills for sale
order plaquenil without prescription – hydroxychloroquine for sale online buy baricitinib 4mg sale
stromectol for lice
where to buy ivermectin pills for humans
ivermectin
[url=https://stromectolik.com/]how to obtain ivermectin[/url]
buy metformin generic – order lipitor 80mg pills buy amlodipine 5mg without prescription
lisinopril 5mg ca – buy lopressor 100mg for sale buy atenolol
furosemide for dogs walmart
lasix 40 mg cost
cost for lasix
[url=https://furosemidevs.com/]lasix pills 20 mg[/url]
furosemide 20 mg
xvwhv
qivic
vyon
ventolin hfa inhaler dosage
ventolin inhaler size
where to buy albuterol in australia
[url=https://ventolinusa.com/]asthma medications over the counter[/url]
buy levitra online cheap – buy pregabalin 150mg pill buy clomiphene for sale
viagra sale britain do not order mexican viagra
albuterol pills – order ventolin 4mg pill order priligy 90mg without prescription
albuterol from mexico ventolin hfa inhaler price
buy online prescription viagra without buy viagra paypal accepted
synthroid 150mcg oral – order triamcinolone 4mg online cheap hydroxychloroquine 200mg without prescription
priligy mercadolibre argentina [url=https://priligy.site/#]where can i buy dapoxetine in singapore [/url] dapoxetine 2 days in a row how long do effects of priligy last
kamagra espaГ±a kamagra sildenafil cheap kamagra oral jelly uk how long kamagra last
ventolin inhaler ventolin inhaler price
order tadalafil 20mg for sale – order cialis pills order sildenafil 50mg online
do viagra pills expire viagra for men for sale
ventolin inhaler asthma albuterol inhaler coupons
buy prednisone 40mg generic – order accutane online uk buy amoxil 250mg for sale
inhaler albuterol
will dapoxetine available [url=https://priligy.site/#]priligy medicine [/url] how to get priligy if your a kid how long does dapoxetine take to work
neurontin tablets cost of brand name neurontin cost of neurontin 600 mg why does gabapentin cause weight gain
order diltiazem for sale – neurontin 600mg uk buy neurontin 100mg generic
order lasix 40mg generic – buy doxycycline 200mg sale purchase doxycycline generic
viagra 100mg tablet price in india buy viagra online japan
where can i get viagra pills http://bluethshop.com buy viagra jelly online
cenforce 100mg generic – zetia 10mg oral order domperidone 10mg online
taztia diltiazem order diltiazem does diltiazem make you tired what is the drug diltiazem used for
how to get levitra [url=http://levitraa.win/#]where can i buy levitra [/url] levitra free trial levitra que es
viagra 100mg drug – sildenafil 50mg price tadalafil generic name
ed online rx buy canada drugs
modafinil 200mg canada – budesonide tablet order rhinocort
zithromax yeast infection azithromycin price without insurance z-pack/zithromax what is azithromycin 500mg used for
neurontin use [url=http://neurontin.site/#]neurontin 300mg caps [/url] what is the street value of neurontin how long until gabapentin kicks in
https://buynolvadex.store/# tamoxifen effectiveness
generic tadalafil daily tadalafil 5mg in india
levitra oral jelly http://medsmir.com/ canadian cialis
buy lipitor cheap lipitor generic brand
[url=https://buymetformin.best/#]metformin buy canada[/url] metformin online no prescription
generic isotretinoin – purchase accutane pill purchase tetracycline pills
furosemide allergy [url=https://lasix.site/#]medicine furosemide pills [/url] lasix 80 mg side effects lasix 40 mg injection equals how many ml
viagra sans ordonance pillule de viagra viagra sans ordonnance 24h france qui peut prescrire viagra
https://buylasix.icu/# lasix 40 mg
buy cyclobenzaprine 15mg for sale – buy colchicine 0.5mg sale inderal 10mg tablet
where can i get metformin online can i buy metformin over the counter
lasix 20 mg lasix 40 mg
[url=https://buytadalafil.men/#]best tadalafil generic[/url] tadalafil united states
https://buylasix.icu/# buy furosemide online
furosemide 25 mg tablet cost for lasix
cialis 5mg [url=http://cialisnz.life/#]viagra cialis levitra [/url] easy way to get viagra how to buy real viagra online
https://buynolvadex.store/# tamoxifen side effects forum
furosemide 20 mg for dog http://furosemide.directory stopping lasix side effects
prix kamagra kamagra gГ©nГ©rique belgique acheter kamagra en pharmacie sans ordonnance kamagra lequel choisir
tamoxifen generic nolvadex pills
buy generic clopidogrel 75mg – purchase clopidogrel without prescription buy generic metoclopramide 20mg
https://cipro.best/# antibiotics cipro
diflucan 150 mg buy online diflucan 1140
https://erectionpills.best/# new ed drugs
[url=https://withoutprescription.store/#]buy prescription drugs from india[/url] pain meds without written prescription
buy cozaar 25mg pills – losartan 50mg sale phenergan buy online
online prescription for ed meds ed meds online canada
https://gabapentin.icu/# 32 neurontin
cialis en france acheter vrai cialis ligne cialis 20 boite de 8 ou acheter cialis 20mg
stromectol uk stromectol tablets order duration of pregnancy
cipro ciprofloxacin ciprofloxacin
ivermectin tablets dosage ivermectin tablets dosage
buy prescription drugs online legally buy prescription drugs online legally
invokana lawsuit https://invokana.beauty/ invokana medication
https://diflucan.icu/# buy diflucan 150 mg
sildenafil 100mg price comparison http://sildenafiluis.com/ sildenafil 100mg tablets for sale
levofloxacin 250mg drug – avodart cost tadalafil 10mg ca
how much furosemide is safe https://furosemide.beauty
over the counter diflucan cream diflucan 200 mg price south africa