Some facts:
Did you know that there are seven species of sea turtles? The Hawksbill, Leatherback, Green, Loggerhead, Flatback, Olive Ridley and Kemp’s Ridley Turtle. Sixty-five million years ago sea turtles survived the global extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs. They thrived in the world’s oceans, nesting on tropical and subtropical beaches. 500 years ago they encountered – Humans. Today they face extinction. Beaches form an integral part to the future of sea turtles. Sadly due to tourism development, many beaches are no longer offering the turtles the chance to come ashore undisturbed in the evenings and early mornings to lay their eggs. It is also believed that the bright lights unsettle the turtles. Those few that manage to find a haven exert a great effort to crawl up the beach to beyond the high tide mark and proceed to dig a hole with their flippers in to which they deposit their broods of up to 200 eggs. However, once the eggs are laid, many are dug up for human consumption and frequently the adult turtles are killed for their meat and shells (in particular the Hawksbill turtles are priced for their beautiful shells which still feed a thriving black market for items made of “tortoiseshell”). A few do manage, against all odds, to find their beach, lay their eggs and return safely to the oceans only to be faced with further dangers. Modern fishing methods are detrimental to the turtles whom get caught up by mistake in netting and long-line operations.
And if these dangers are not enough, the turtles still need to cope with the ever increasing pollution levels around the world. Plastic bags for instance, when wet, resemble jelly fish and become deadly meals for the turtles. Oil and tar also cause fatalities when consumed. Over the years all sea turtle species have declined drastically and are in danger of extinction. Strict conservation measures are required to save the turtles from further depletion. The future of sea turtles lies in our hands. Time is running out. Certain organisations like the Caribbean Conservation Corporation and Medasset are fully committed to safeguard their future. CCC was founded by Dr. Archie Carr in the 1950’s. Dr. Carr is widely recognised as the father of sea turtle biology whom raised the awareness that the world was losing its sea turtles due to over consumption by humans and the destruction of nesting and other habitats. Please do visit their website to learn more about their efforts and the plight of the sea turtles. You will also have the opportunity to “adopt” and endangered sea turtle. Only with the help of such projects do the sea turtles stand a chance to survival!
www.cccturtle.org
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