View source for Shell Beach, Guyana

{{Short description|Protected beach in Guyana}}
{{Infobox Protected area 
| name           = Shell Beach
| photo          = Coconut Trees on the Shell Beach - panoramio.jpg
| photo_caption  = Coconut Trees on the Shell Beach
| location       = [[Barima-Waini]], [[Guyana]]
| map            = Guyana
| nearest_city   = [[Mabaruma]]
| coordinates    = {{coord|8.291676|-59.556988 |display=title,inline}}
| established    = 2011
| area           = {{convert|31.77|km2|abbr=on}}<ref name="protected">{{cite web|url=https://www.protectedplanet.net/41057 |title=Shell Beach Protected Area |website=Protected Planet|access-date=25 March 2021}}</ref>
| website        = 
| map_caption    = 
| iucn_category  = VI<!--<ref name="protected"/>-->
| governing_body = [[Protected Areas Trust]]
}}
'''Shell Beach''', located on the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] coast of [[Guyana]] in the [[Barima-Waini]] Region, near the [[Venezuela]]n border, is a nesting site for four of the eight [[sea turtle]] species - the [[Green sea turtle|Green]], [[Hawksbill sea turtle|Hawksbill turtle]], [[Leatherback sea turtle|Leatherback]] and the [[Olive ridley sea turtle|Olive Ridley]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Kalamandeen|first=Michelle|title=Shell Beach and Sea Turtles|url=http://www.gotoguyana.org/feature2/saving-our-natural-heritage-shell-beach-and-sea-turtles-by-michelle-kalamandeen/|accessdate=12 May 2014}}</ref> Shell Beach extends for approximately 120&nbsp;km.<ref name="protected_area"/>

[[Turtle]]s used to be slaughtered for their [[meat]] and eggs but are now part of a [[non-governmental]] [[Marine conservation|conservation]] [[Program (management)|program]] called the Guyana Marine Turtle Conservation Society (GMTCS), founded by Dr. [[Peter Pritchard]] and Romeo De Freitas.<ref>{{cite web|title=About us|url=http://www.gmtcs.org/?main=19&lang=en|publisher=GMTCS|accessdate=12 May 2014}}</ref> Shell Beach was not formally protected, although direct and indirect conservation activities to protect the [[nest]]ing sea turtles started in the 1960s, when Pritchard first began annual research visits. Due to his efforts to conserve the turtles in the region, Pritchard was dubbed "Hero of the Planet" by Time.<ref>{{cite web|title=Peter Pritchard: Hero of the Planet|url=http://www.anapsid.org/pritchard.html|accessdate=12 May 2014}}</ref> As of 2011, it is a [[List of protected areas of Guyana|protected]] area, and [[Amerindians]] from the local communities of [[Almond Beach, Guyana|Almond Beach]], [[Gwennie Beach, Guyana|Gwennie Beach]], and nine other villages within the area are involved in the programme.<ref name="protected_area">{{cite web|url=https://nre.gov.gy/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Protected-Area-Mgmt-Plan-Shell-Beach.pdf|title=Shell Beach Protected Area Management Plan|website=Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment}}</ref>

==References==
<references/>

{{commons category|position=left}}

[[Category:Barima-Waini]]
[[Category:Beaches of South America]]
[[Category:Landforms of Guyana]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Guyana]]
[[Category:Water in Guyana]]
[[Category:Natural history of Guyana]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Guyana]]


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