ISLAND PROFILE 34 lime January - March 2009 hills and wide savannahs… and little tourism development. But Shell Beach, a 90- mile stretch of unspoiled Atlantic coastline where endangered sea turtles lay their eggs, is a reason for intrepid travellers to visit. From March through August, Shell Beach is the nesting ground for four of the world's eight endangered species of marine turtles: leatherback, green, hawksbill and olive ridley. While male sea turtles typically never leave the sea, females use their paddle- like fl ippers to crawl ashore and dig a nest in which they can lay a clutch of around 100 soft- shelled eggs. At Shell Beach guests are invited to watch the turtles nest from a rustic beach camp, which is also home to a turtle conservation project. The hosts are a group of reformed turtle poachers who now monitor the beach as ' Turtle Wardens' to protect their one- time prey, including the six- foot long and 1,000 pound leatherback. CENTRAL RAINFORESTS This region of Guyana loosely encompasses the Pakaraima and Iwokrama mountains, and includes two of Guyana's tourism highlights: Kaieteur National Park and the Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development. Isolated in the middle of the Pakaraima Mountains, Kaieteur National Park is home to the 741ft sheer drop of Kaieteur Falls, Guyana's crown jewel. While the greatness of Kaieteur is certainly in the falls – at its peak, 30,000 gallons of water per second fl ow over a wall some 400ft wide – visitors shouldn't miss the area's fascinating microenvironments supported by the constant spray of the falls. Birdwatchers come to see the Guianan cock- of- the- rock leks, where the overly orange birds participate in bizarre mating rituals that involve calling and dancing for females. In the evening, visitors can also watch white- chinned and white- tipped swifts by the hundreds, as they return to roost behind the falls. Birds aside, two of the park's more fascinating creatures are the prehistorically large tank bromeliads and the miniscule golden dart frogs that spend their entire lives inside the bromeliads' leaves. The terrestrial tank bromeliads, which have been known to reach nine feet in height, collect water in their upturned leaves, allowing the endemic frogs to thrive. Other highlights at Kaieteur include carnivorous plants and brilliant morpho butterfl ies, including morpho hecuba, whose eight- inch wingspan makes it South America's largest, and the iridescent blue morpho. At its core, Iwokrama is a one million- acre ( 371,000 ha) research project used as a living laboratory for scientifi c research, ecotourism and sustainable tropical forest management. Located in the heart of Guyana, the Iwokrama Forest has an amazing cross- section of Guyana's biodiversity, including 1,500 species of fl ora, 200 mammals, 500 birds, 420 fi sh and 150 species of reptiles and amphibians. One of Iwokrama's many monikers is ' Land of the Giants', because it has healthy populations of some of the Americas' and the world's largest CAPYBARA Thanks to their webbed feet, the world's largest and strangest- looking rodents are strong swimmers. GOLIATH BIRD- EATING SPIDER The world's largest spider got its name from Victorian- era explorers who saw one devouring a hummingbird; their leg span when extended is 12 inches and they can weigh 4.2 ounces. Gold was discovered in Guyana in 1879. The Omai gold mine in Guyana is one of the largest open pit gold mines in South America. The Amerindians called the country Guiana, which means land of many waters. Guyana is the only English speaking country in South America. DID YOU KNOW? Throughout the world, the human race has conquered and claimed for itself, but much of Guyana has remained untouched, and this is the reason to visit MICHAEL DURHAM/ MINDEN PICTURES/ FLPA PIOTR NASKRECKI/ MINDEN PICTURES/ FLPA LUIZ CLAUDIO MARIGO/ NATUREPL. COM ROD WILLIAMS/ NATUREPL. COM Morpho Butterfl y

FALSE VAMPIRE BAT The largest bat species in Central and South America has a wingspan of three- feet and eats birds, rodents and other bats. January - March 2009 lime 35 LL Tiger- striped leaf frog, jumping from a colourful heliconia fl ower BARRY MANSELL/ NATUREPL. COM