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Canadian Sea Turtle Network (CSTN) Field Trip to Trinidad 2026
NOTE: Most of the text in this photo-essay was adapted from The Canadian Sea Turtle Network's 2026 Field Trip Expedition Handbook.
Trinidad’s beaches host one of the largest nesting colonies of Leatherback Sea Turtles in the world. Approximately 60% of Leatherback Sea Turtles that forage in Canadian waters during the summer months originate from the Trinidad nesting population.
The Canadian Sea Turtle Network has been working collaboratively with colleagues on tropical sea turtle nesting beaches since its inception. Their partnership with Nature Seekers, in Trinidad, stretches back to 1999.
CSTN's experience and expertise working in Trinidad allows them to plan and coordinate this expedition in direct partnership with Nature Seekers – no third party required. This means that participants truly become members of the field research team during the trip. It also means that 100% of the cost of the trip goes to supporting CSTN's work and the work of their grassroots partners on the ground in Trinidad.
The expedition is based in the village of Matura, a small, friendly, rural community in northeastern Trinidad where CSTN's research partner, Nature Seekers, has its headquarters. Nearby is the Matura Beach Protected Area, where large numbers of Leatherback Sea Turtles nest annually.
During the day, field trip participants engage in excursions that showcase the natural beauty of Trinidad. During nightly volunteer sessions, they assist with counting, measuring, and tagging endangered Leatherback Sea Turtles, as they arrive on the nesting beach to lay their eggs.
Maggie Black
Field Trip to Trinidad
Field Trip to Trinidad
Nine Days
Nine Days
Day 1 | Arrival & Orientation
Day 1 | Arrival & Orientation
The group was picked up at Piarco International Airport in the morning. After arriving in Matura we settled in at Suzan's Guest House, where we stayed for the duration of the trip. Afterwards, we were taken for daytime and nighttime visits to Matura Beach, where our volunteer work with the Leatherback Sea Turtles would take place.
Airport pick up
Our home-away-from-home, for the next nine days
Trip leader Nicole, in the guest house lounge with four of the field trip participants
Daytime visit to Matura Beach
Exploring the beach in daylight helped us become oriented before visiting at night
Enormous tracks left by a nesting Leatherback Sea Turtle
First nighttime visit to Matura Beach
Orientation with a Nature Seekers staff member. We used the full moon and red lights to illuminate our work. Red lights have been proven less disruptive to turtles than white lights.
Participating in a public tour
Leatherback Sea Turtles are gentle giants that survived the mass extinction of the dinosaurs. They definitely have a prehistoric aura about them.
Heading back to the ocean after nesting
Day 2 | Training & First Night of Field Work
Today, we learned about the work of the Canadian Sea Turtle Network, the work of Nature Seekers, and the unique partnerships among turtle conservation groups internationally.
Leatherback Sea Turtles come ashore to nest under cover of darkness. Each night during the sea turtle nesting season, Nature Seekers staff patrol the nesting beach to prevent the poaching of Leatherback Sea Turtles and their eggs. They conduct scientific research that allows them to track Leatherback population size and trends as well as to monitor the reproduction of individual animals. CSTN is involved in a number of collaborative scientific initiatives with Nature Seekers, including satellite tagging of “Canadian” turtles on the beach so they can learn about how the animals behave and where they go after they have nested. Sometimes they are lucky enough to follow the paths of these turtles right back to Canadian waters.
CSTN and Nature Seekers ensured that we were trained in sea turtle identification, data collection, and in the use of research equipment. We practiced each research task with project staff and were partnered with members of Nature Seekers in the field. Our volunteer work took place each night, between 8 p.m. and 1 a.m.
Location of nesting beaches, in relation to Atlantic Canada; Leatherback Sea Turtles undertake massive migrations!
Sea Turtles are tagged with passive integrated transponders (PIT tags) & flipper tags at Matura Beach and in Atlantic Canada, to aid researchers with identification
A human arm and a front Leatherback flipper
Field tools used by researchers include measuring tapes, flipper tags and applicators, passive integrated transponders (PIT tags) and applicators, PIT tag scanners, & GPS devices to mark nest locations
This data sheet is completed for nesting sea turtles on Matura Beach; the information is later typed into a database
Nature Seekers' staff demonstrate the use of research tools on a life-sized Leatherback Sea Turtle model
Waiting for a Leatherback to dig her nest, so we can begin collecting data
Scanning for the presence of a PIT tag. The turtles go into a trance, while laying, so that is when it is safe to scan, measure and tag them.
This is a "return turtle" that had been PIT-tagged previously. If she had no PIT tag, one would have been applied.
Measuring the turtle while she is laying her eggs
One turtle had a flipper tag with a Canadian number on it! She was tagged off Nova Scotia in 2019!
Spending time in close proxiity to giant, prehistoric sea turtles is a profound and humbling experience!
Day 3 | & Crafts & Field Work
The Turtle Warrior craft program employs local artisans in producing crafts from recycled materials. We visited the craft program, saw how beads are made from glass bottles found on the beach, and made some beaded bracelets! In the evening, we were back on the beach from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. assisting with turtle research.
Making beads from glass bottles found on the beach
Handmade glass beads
My bracelet
A really big (harmless) locust outside the guest house
My birthday was today, and Walija's was a few days later, so our hosts presented us with a birthday cake!
Waiting for the bus to take us to the beach for our evening patrol
Sometimes, the turtles benefit from a helping hand to shepherd them through the seaweed to a sandy nesting area
Measuring a turtle while she is laying her eggs
Heading back to the ocean after nesting
Day 4 | Excursion up the Northeast Coast & Grand Riviere
Today, we joined a local guide for a day trip heading to the north coast of Trinidad. We made stops at scenic lookouts along the drive. Our destination was Grande Riviere, the densest Leatherback nesting beach in the Northwest Atlantic!
En route to Grande Riviere
The four "elders" of CSTN's 2026 Field Trip to Trinidad (the rest of the participants were in their 20's)
En route to Grande Riviere
A cashew fruit and nut
Dates
Coconuts
Grande Riviere Beach at sunset
Grande Riviere Beach at sunset
A shipwreck on Grande Riviere Beach
Leatherbacks usually nest at night, but this one came ashore just as the sun was setting!
Attending a presentation from Grande Riviere staff
At Grand Riviere, the nesting beach is only a kilometre long and turtles often inadvertently dig up each others' nests. The eggs in the picture were excavated from a previous nest.
These are examples of a yolkless "spacer" egg on the left, and a regular egg on the right
Once a Leatherback egg has been tossed or rolled by another turtle it is no longer viable. This excavated egg was likely a couple weeks old.
Day 5 | Excursion to Bajnath's Estate & Field Work
Today, we visited an eco-lodge within the Matura Forest Reserve. We enjoyed a guided hike, a swim in the river, watched hummingbirds from the lodge's observation deck, and enjoyed a scrumptuous outdoor lunch!
All six CSTN field trip participants, our two leaders, and the man who runs the eco-lodge
One of the world's smallest hummingbird species, viewed through a telescope
This evening, we spotted a baby Tarantula on the wall of the pavillion where the bus dropped us off for our evening field work!
Tonight, we got to watch researchers weigh a 907 lb. Leatherback, when she was in her "egg-laying trance!" Fascinating!
Tonight, we also saw a Hawkesbill Turtle come ashore!
Day 6 | School Visit, Kayaking on the Salybia River & Field Work
This morning, a CSTN field trip participant who has been to Matura many times led an excursion to a local elementary school to teach some science activities. The rest of us assisted her. In the afternoon, we explored the Salybia River by kayak, pulled our kayaks onshore when the river became too shallow to continue paddling, and waded further up the river to a swimming hole. In the evening, we headed back to the beach for fieldwork.
Terri, explaining a science activity to a class
Solar-powered bugs!
Bracelets with UV-sensitive beads. The beads appeared white indoors, and turned colours outside!
Salybia River Excursion
A very tiny toad!
The swimming hole
A Cane Toad outside the guest house
Leatherback laying eggs
This was a return-nester, who had been PIT-tagged earlier. We recorded her number on our data sheet.
We measured the width and length of the turtles' shells. Larger turtles were too big for one person to straddle, and required a person on each side to hold the tape measure.
Recording the data
Day 7 | Mermaid Pool, Cricket & Last Night of Field Work
This morning, we joined a local guide for a hike along the Matura River through pine and Mora Forest to Mermaid Pool, a unique limestone formation that creates three distinct natural swimming pools. We enjoyed a refreshing dip in the clear turquoise waters and picked up trash along the trail on the way back. In the afternoon, we sampled some delicious homemade ice cream, and watched a Cricket demonstration. In the evening, we headed back to Matura Beach for our final night of field work.
Hike to Mermaid Pool
One of the three Mermaid Pools
Mermaids?
Picking up trash on the trail back from Mermaid Pool
Homemade pineapple-coconut ice cream!
Cricket demonstration
Heading onto the beach for our last night of field work
Me with a medium-sized Leatherback
Our CSTN and Nature Seekers guides were excellent educators; always available to answer our questions!
Celebrating Walija's birthday at midnight!
(This looks a bit like a scene from Lord of the Flies!)
Day 8 | School Visit, Caroni Swamp Boat Tour & Farewell Dinner at the Guest House
This morning, we brought "solar bugs" to a pre-school group near the guest house. In the afternoon, we drove to the Caroni Swamp, and enjoyed a boat tour, with sightings that included an anteater, a tree boa and many different bird species. Afterwards, we drove back to Matura for a farewell dinner at the guest house.
Terri generously donated all the science supplies, plus art supplies and backpacks to students at this little private school.
Learning about "solar bugs"
Trying out the "solar bugs!'
Caroni Swamp Boat Tour
Grey Heron
Tree Boa
Silky Anteater napping in a tree
The Andes Mountains, with Pink Flamingos in the foreground
Flamingos and herons
Egrets and herons
Scarlet Ibis, egrets & herons
Scarlet Ibis in flight
On the boat tour with some of our amazing Trinidadian guides!
Day 9 | Departure
After a hearty brunch, an opportunity to purchase last-minute gifts from the Nature Seekers' store, and "bon voyage visits" from several of our local guides, we headed to the airport for afternoon flights back home to North America.
A local woman brought us still-hot chocolate chip cookies, for the road.
The people in Matura were so welcoming and kind to us!
There was only one injury on the trip, but it was significant. One of our leaders broke an ankle when she stepped off the path leading from the nesting beach to the parking lot, at night, and fell into a hole. 😢
One of my souvenirs from Nature Seekers was this beautiful ceramic piece, created by Suzan, the pioneer who started the sea turtle conservation movement in Matura.
CSTN trip organizers created a Trinidad Bingo (aka "Tringo") challenge for our group. On the trip, we saw almost everything on the board!
Departing the airport in Trinidad, after an absolutely amazing trip-of-a-lifetime!
Farewell, Trinidad...
Text, photographs and layout © Margaret A. Black, 2026
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