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}}{{cite web|url=https://www.protectedplanet.net/41057 |title=Shell Beach Protected Area |website=Protected Planet|access-date=25 March 2021}}

| website =

| map_caption =

| iucn_category = VI

| governing_body = Protected Areas Trust

}}

Shell Beach, located on the Atlantic coast of Guyana in the Barima-Waini Region, near the Venezuelan border, is a nesting site for four of the eight sea turtle species - the Green, Hawksbill turtle, Leatherback and the Olive Ridley.{{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}} Shell Beach extends for approximately 120 km.

Turtles used to be slaughtered for their meat and eggs but are now part of a non-governmental conservation program called the Guyana Marine Turtle Conservation Society (GMTCS), founded by Dr. Peter Pritchard and Romeo De Freitas.{{cite web|title=About us|url=http://www.gmtcs.org/?main=19&lang=en|publisher=GMTCS|accessdate=12 May 2014}} Shell Beach was not formally protected, although direct and indirect conservation activities to protect the nesting 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.{{cite web|title=Peter Pritchard: Hero of the Planet|url=http://www.anapsid.org/pritchard.html|accessdate=12 May 2014}} As of 2011, it is a protected area, and Amerindians from the local communities of Almond Beach, Gwennie Beach, and nine other villages within the area are involved in the programme.{{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}}