In the last post we talked about the importance of coastal dunes. We learned that these dunes were critical for the prevention of erosion from storms. Sand dunes are also critical to the survival of sea turtles. These creatures are truly amazing. The 7 types of sea turtles are Loggerhead, Kemp's Ridley, Green, Leatherback, Australian Flatback, Hawksbill and Olive Ridley. They spend all of their life in the sea and have flippers instead of feet. Once a male sea turtle hatches from its nest and makes its way down the beach to the water it will likely never come ashore again. Female turtles will only come ashore to lay her eggs.
The leatherback is the largest reaching weights ranging from 800 to 1,300 pounds. They can reach 6 feet in shell length. The largest recorded leatherback weighed 2,020 pounds. They are called leatherbacks because they have a soft shell as opposed to a hard shell. Leatherbacks also dive deeper than any other turtle. They have been recorded to dive as deep as 4,000 feet below the surface. Truly an amazing feat for any animal. It can take sea turtles 20-50 years to reach maturity and no one is really sure how long they live. Most estimates are that sea turtles live about 80 years in the wild.
When enjoying your beach adventure it is important to understand that you will be sharing the beach with the turtles. you may not be lucky enough to see a turtle but chances are you will be near a nest. The list below are responsible ethics to follow when going to a beach that has sea turtle nesting activity:
Never disturb a sea turtle crawling to or from the ocean
Once a sea turtle has begun nesting, observe her only from a distance
Do not shine lights on a sea turtle or take flash photography
Turn out all lights visible from the beach, dusk to dawn, from May through October
Turn off all outdoor and deck lighting to reduce disorientation for nesting adults and hatchlings
Close blinds and drapes on windows that face the beach or ocean.
Fill in holes on the beach at the end of each day as adults and hatchlings can become trapped in the holes
Do not leave beach chairs, tents etc. on the beach overnight
Never attempt to ride a sea turtle
In 2019 the number of sea turtle nests reached record levels up and down the east coast of the United States. This is due in large part to conservation efforts started 30 years ago to reverse their decline. Fishing nets were required to have turtle escape hatches and volunteers began to monitor and protect their nests.
However, pollution is still a big problem. One of the sea turtles favorite meals are jelly fish. Unfortunately, a plastic bag floating in the ocean resembles that meal and they ingest the bag. A bag might not look dangerous, but to a turtle it can be deadly.
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