Location

Long Beach

Green Turtle, Ascension Island Frigatebird

Description

Long Beach is just under a kilometre long, adjacent to Georgetown and is the most important nesting beach for green turtles on Ascension Island. It is monitored during turtle nesting season (Dec-Jun). Approximately 75% of all turtle nesting occurs on the three monitored beaches - Long Beach, North East Bay and Pan Am (South West Bay.) Long Beach is also the location that Conservation's turtle tours are set. During nesting season, tours are available to book to have a guided experience that will minimize disturbance to the turtle. These are free to island residents, contact the conservation department to inquire further.

While Long Beach is the easiest beach to access as it is adjacent to Georgetown, it is not recommended to swim at Long Beach due to the strong currents and undertow. The conditions can also change very quickly.

In 1725 Leendert Hasenbosch was marooned on Ascension Island by the Dutch East India Company as a punishment. In the translation of his diary, he spent much of his time camped on this beach, and often walked along it looking out for ships. One of his main camps was in a cave at one end of the beach, thought to be somewhere where the pierhead is now built. Unfortunately only his diary was found and he was presumed dead of thirst, after some six months marooned.