So Fast

 A turtle is crossing the road when he’s mugged by two snails. When the police show up, they ask him what happened. The shaken turtle replies, “I don’t know. It all happened so fast.” (Unijokes, #12271)

Sea turtles have played a vital role in nurturing the ocean, and have done so for more than 100 million years. They are critical for flourishing marine food webs. Different types of sea turtles consume prey like jellyfish and sea sponges, which allow coral and lower tropic fish to grow in abundance. Another type of sea turtle grazes on sea grasses (acting like a lawnmower), and helps to promote new growth.

Commercial fishing, entanglement and plastic pollution are the biggest threats to sea turtles. (Over 50% of sea turtles have ingested plastic.) Habitat loss and climate changes are also pushing sea turtles to extinction. By increasing the mortality of all the varieties of sea turtles and the number of female hatchlings produced, there can be a long-term affect on the population on one of God’s most fascinating creations. Did you know that there are 7 types of sea turtles?

Flatback Sea Turtle (Natator depressus): The Flatbacks weigh up to 200 pounds, and can grow up to 39 inches in length. They prefer coastal reef waters and reside in Australia, Indonesia, and New Guinea waters. They live alone, and can exist up to 100 years in age.

Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas): When people think of sea turtles, they often envision the green sea turtle. These turtles weigh about 400 pounds, and are 5.5 feet in length. They mostly feed on sea grass and algae.

The pigment from their green diet colors their fat, which gives them their label. Green sea turtles are deep divers. and can stay under the water for up to five hours. Females mate every two to four years, and populations have dropped up to 65 percent over the last 100 to 150 years.

Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata): The hawksbill turtle is distinguished by its heart-shaped shell. As the turtle ages, the heart lengthens and the hawksbill grows two pairs of claws on the front feet and mouth similar to a bird’s beak. Hawksbills reside in tropical Pacific and Atlantic waters and desire rocky and shallow areas. They primarily consume sponges along with jellyfish, mollusks, crustaceans and small fish.

Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii): This turtle is one of the smallest turtles in the world. They weigh about 100 pounds and are 2.5 to 3 feet in length. They are grey and green in color and primarily reside in the Gulf of Mexico, Florida and Mediterranean waters. Their diet includes mollusks, jellyfish, crabs and small fish. A mature age is 10 to 20 years old and they can live up to 50 years.

Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea): The leatherback can weigh up to 2,000 pounds, and grows to seven and one-half feet in length. Leatherbacks are the fourth largest reptile only behind three species of crocodiles. Leatherbacks cruise the entire world, but are regularly found in Florida, St. Croix and Puerto Rican waters.

They have a large appetite and can travel hundreds of miles in search of energy from jellyfish. Unfortunately, jellyfish are rough on their digestion, which causes an intestinal block. When food is not available, they will eat plastic bags, as it resembles a jellyfish.

Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta): The loggerhead is most notable for its large head. The body is shaped similar to a heart, and can grow up to 250 pounds and 3 feet in length. These turtles love sandy beaches and are common throughout Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean shorelines. Large populations are found in the Bahamas and Mexico. These turtles are not ready to mate until they reach 33 years of age.

Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea): These gray and green heart-shaped turtles weigh up to 100 pounds, and grow to less than 3 feet in length. They are the smallest sea turtles and live in Pacific waters mainly in Mexico. Olive Ridley’s consume crustaceans and jellyfish, but will eat algae if no other options are available. They can birth up to 100 eggs and mature sexually around 15 years.

3 easy tips for protecting sea turtles:

Fill in holes and knock down sand castles: Sand holes and sand castle structures can trap or confuse hatchlings on their way to the water. So, snap a picture of that awesome sand castle or massive sand hole, and fill it in at the end of the day.

Pack up your stuff and throw away trash: It’s easy for things to get away from you on a windy day on the beach. It might seem convenient to leave a beach chair or sun shade out on the sand for tomorrow’s beach time, but objects left behind on the beach can confuse and deter mother sea turtles who usually come up on the beach to nest at night. Even small obstacles can disorient hatchlings on their way to the water, making them easy prey for birds and scavengers.

Turn off bright lights, or use a turtle-friendly red light: Hatchlings usually emerge at night or early morning and use light-cues to find their way to the open ocean. Bright lights on the shore can confuse and disorient hatchlings causing them to spend their energy crawling toward light and away from the ocean.

You can help them find the water by turning off exterior lights on your house, and by walking by moonlight, or using a red flashlight when on the beach at night. If you do find a hatchling crawling toward the ocean, leave them be. They need to build up strength by crawling over land so they can swim without drowning when they reach the water.

“Try to be like a turtle [by being] at ease in your own shell.” (Bill Copeland)[i]

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[i] Adapted from:

·       “3 Tips for Protecting Sea Turtles” by Alisa Walsh

·       “7 Types of Sea Turtles” by pacsafe

·       “Meet the Seven Sea Turtle Species” by Smithsonian

·       “What you should know about sea turtles” by IFAW