Loggerhead sea turtles are named for their large heads, which have powerful jaws strong enough to crush crabs and shellfish. They can grow to about one metre long and weigh up to 130 kilograms — about the weight of two adult people. They are excellent swimmers and spend nearly all of their lives in the ocean.
Every two to five years, an adult female loggerhead returns to the very beach where she herself hatched. Scientists call this natal homing — one of the most amazing feats in nature. She drags herself up the sand at night, digs a hole with her back flippers, lays up to 120 eggs, covers them over, and returns to the sea. The whole process takes a couple of hours.
Cape Verde's main nesting beaches are on the islands of Boa Vista, Maio, and Santiago. Local conservation teams patrol the beaches at night during the nesting season (June to October) to count nests and protect them from disturbance. Volunteers from Cape Verde and other countries help with this vital work every year.
When the eggs hatch after about two months, tiny hatchlings — no bigger than a matchbox — scramble out of the sand and rush toward the ocean. They instinctively head for the brightest light on the horizon, which in nature is the reflection of stars and moon on the sea. Conservation teams make sure no bright lights from buildings confuse them on their journey.