It's still safe to turtle-watch at the Grande Riviere beach.

A report of taunting touts bent on making life difficult for turtle-watchers was published in a letter to the Express (June 24). These claims were, however, refuted by Selwyn Ruiz, president of the Grande Riviere Environment Awareness Trust (GREAT).

The letter writer, "Susan", said she paid and received a pass for 30 adults and 20 children for the beach tour, but were greeted by "some unkempt and dirty men who more looked like touts rather than tour guides demanding a fee of $5 per adult and $3 per child. We refused their services."

The writer added that during the turtle-watching exercise, a tour guide "began to hammer away at the turtle's fin with a big stick. He also began to fill up the hole the turtle was digging.

"Our rejected guides not being happy that we were still on the beach and able to witness the turtles…ordered us to leave the beach immediately…A large gang of men appeared with big sticks and attempted to hit us and chase us like animals off the beach."

Ruiz, who said he read the letter and has since had to give the Toco police an official report, saw the situation as unfortunate since the goal of his organization, he said, is to protect the turtles, rivers and trees.

Interested turtle-watchers, after buying their permits or pass, must follow the rules indicated on it. The rules include - no camping, no riding of the turtles, and the one that Ruiz referred to several times, having a tour guide.

The Ministry of Agriculture confirmed to the Express that the fee of the permit doesn't include the fees of the tour guides.

"Once they get there they have to pay for the tour," said a ministry representative.

With reference again to the letter, Ruiz said his group in no way harmed the turtles.

"We were not hammering the fins. We took a stick - and we always carry sticks - to turn the turtles around and lead them into the direction we wanted them to go in.

"If they (the turtle-watchers) had paid for the information, they would have also known that we were covering the holes with sand to prevent turtles from digging up the nests of others."

Since his group was formed in 1991, Ruiz said, "We try to keep out of the papers especially with that kind of thing. Remember, we dealing with tourists too."

He invited those interested to come and experience turtle watching for themselves at Grande Riviere. The season began on March 1 and will continue until August 31.

April to June has been described as the peak season-where one can actually experience the laying of eggs. Out of those months, turtle-watchers will only see the hatchlings returning to the sea.

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