The St Patrick Environmental and Community Tourism Organisation (SPECTO), a Grenada-based group focused on leatherback turtle conservation and responsible ecotourism, has announced an immediate, early end to all remaining turtle watching tours for the 2026 leatherback nesting season, marking the second straight year the organization has been forced to take this step.
The difficult decision comes after weeks of sharply declining observations of nesting female leatherbacks on Grenada’s Levera Beach, one of the Caribbean’s key nesting sites for the vulnerable marine species. While SPECTO has always noted that wild turtle encounters cannot be guaranteed in its nature-focused tours, the ongoing sharp drop in nesting activity left the organization unable to deliver the consistent, high-quality visitor experience that tourists have come to expect from its programming.
SPECTO leadership confirmed that the repeated early closure has raised serious alarm, as the organization’s core mission centers on protecting leatherback turtle populations and advancing community-centered sustainable tourism. Preliminary observations from regional partners have added further context to the concerning trend: similar dramatic declines in nesting activity have already been recorded in Trinidad, which hosts one of the largest and most significant leatherback nesting colonies in the entire Caribbean region. This cross-border pattern suggests that the drop in nesting numbers is not an isolated issue limited to Grenada, but may stem from broader regional or global ecological and environmental shifts impacting the entire species.
Moving forward, SPECTO has announced it will collaborate closely with local government agencies, independent marine researchers, international conservation groups, and regional ecological partners to collect comprehensive data on the decline and identify its root causes. The organization aims to contribute to a robust, evidence-based understanding of the threats facing leatherback turtle populations, and to help develop targeted conservation actions that can support the species’ long-term survival.
In a public notice, SPECTO also reiterated longstanding protections for Levera Beach during the annual nesting season, which runs from April through August. Under Grenada’s 2010 Statutory Rules and Orders No. 15 and the national Fisheries Act, the beach remains a restricted protected area throughout the nesting period. Unauthorized entry is strictly prohibited, as limiting human disturbance is critical to protecting nesting females, newly hatched turtle hatchlings, and the fragile coastal dune habitat that leatherbacks depend on for successful reproduction.
The organization closed its announcement by extending sincere gratitude to all tourists, volunteer stewards, local community members, and institutional partners that supported the 2026 tour season. SPECTO noted that participation in its regulated ecotours delivers multiple benefits beyond direct conservation action, supporting local livelihoods and expanding public awareness of marine environmental issues across Grenada.