The Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary – a Bequia Institution

(This article first appeared in Caribbean Compass)

If you asked a visitor about 30 years ago what they associated with Bequia, it would probably have been to do with boats and seafaring. I am sure over the years Bequia has meant many things to many visitors – from model boats, to the Easter regatta, to the Thursday night jump up at the Frangi. I suspect if you asked more recent visitors many of them would reply “turtles”.

This is the doing of the non-profit Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary, founded and looked after by Brother (Orton) King. It is amazing that one man’s idea should have such a great impact in so many ways. Brother King, a retired fisherman, decided to give back something to the world, and in doing so he kept himself close to the sea and the creatures that were much of his life. Brother King knew turtles were endangered (all species of sea turtle in the Caribbean are on the lists of endangered species). He also knew that the survival rate for baby turtles is exceedingly low (it has often been estimated that only about 5% of eggs reach maturity as turtles). I have seen this for myself, I was once on a beach in the Galapagos Islands when the sand erupted and a big cluster of baby turtles emerged and headed for the sea. There was something wrong with their timing; they emerged in daylight instead of at night.  I would say none made it – wheeling frigate birds swooped down and grabbed them as soon as they started swimming (they would have taken them off the beach but tourists were running up and down chasing the frigate birds to try and save the baby turtles; an amusing spectacle, but a futile endeavor in this case).

But, as Brother King figured, if you can take the eggs and hatch out the baby turtles, then look after them till they are about two years old, they will have passed their most vulnerable stage and be very likely to live a long time and produce young.

This strategy for supporting turtle and tortoise populations is not new. I first came across it in the Galapagos where introduced rats are so effective at eating the eggs and the young of giant tortoises that all species would be approaching extinction if it was not for the work of the scientists at the Darwin research station who visit the islands, bring back the eggs and keep the baby tortoises till they are about two years old and “rat proof” at which point they are returned the island they were taken from.

I saw a turtle rearing station much like the one Brother King has in Bequia when I was Los Roques in Venezuela about 15 years ago. They also apparently do the same thing in Cuba. Brother King told me that in Cuba they have been keeping records and know now that the young hatched this way do return and bear young.

Starting up was not easy – Brother King had to start with his own resources until he began to have something to show – then he managed to get at least a little help from various well-wishers, included two checks from the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. And it has gone on this way – Brother dedicates himself to the project and somehow managed to keep it going with what help he can get. Rearing turtles is not easy – you have to deal with fungal infections, and because of the close quarters they tend to chew in each other causing wounds. While there is some information out there, turtle raisers are a pretty rare bunch, so we are far from being able to buy a “Turtles for Dummies” book; a lot is by intuition and luck. And Brother King’s guesses and luck have been good, he has released many hundreds of turtles, and when the present bunch leave it will have been more than a thousand of different kinds – a significant contribution the well being of an endangered group.

Apart from helping with the turtle population, the Old Hegg Sanctuary has had a big effect in two other ways. It has been a wonderful educational opportunity for all those in Bequia, but particularly the kids, to come learn about turtles and to see them at close quarters and to appreciate what beautiful creatures they are.

The second way is perhaps more unexpected, but the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary is probably now Bequia’s most famous visitor attraction. It is after all the only one of its kind in the Eastern Caribbean. Its location at the end of the road makes it a good fare for the taxi drivers, and they know that if nothing else, a visitor is likely to take a cab to see the turtles. It is also a great inducement to get people to take a ride – “you haven’t yet seen our wonderful turtle sanctuary?” It is a hard invitation to refuse – no wonder so many people know think of Bequia as the “Turtle Island”.