1485 Volunteers Clean Up a Beach For Leatherback Sea Turtle Nesting Season
Trinidadian and Tobagonian organization Nature Seekers is having its annual beach clean-up and is also celebrating its 25 anniversary. Every year, thousand of volunteers meet at Matura Beaches (which are important nesting sites) in order to remove bulk of debris and drift wood, making the path clear for turtles to lay their eggs and for the hatchling to make their way to the sea. Matura beaches are also prohibited during the turtle nesting season (from March to August). No recreational activities are allowed and a permit is also required to visit the beach during this season. This year, 1485 people gathered and collected more than 250 bags or garbage stretched on 5.5 kilometers of beach.
Turtle News From Around the World
Biology
Leatherback sea turtles’ guidance sense remains a mysterious secret.
Conservation
Dozen of Kemp’s ridley turtles released in Florida one year after being rescued.
The fifth annual Siesta Key Crystal Classic Master Sand Sculpting Competition event raised more than $20000 for the Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program.
“Run for the turtle”: An event to raise fund for supporting sea turtle research and conservation at Mote Marine Laboratory.
Malaysian and Philippine wildlife officials are working torgther to counter transboundary poaching of endangered turtles.
Crime and Punishment
Three rare turtles were kept illegaly by a man in Perth were seized by the WA Department of Parks and Wildlife.
Did You Know…
Carettochelys insulpta is a unique freshwater turtle species with its flippers. Not only it is unique because of its flippers but also due to the fact that eggs actually require to be submerged to hatch. Females often lay eggs during the dry season when the water level is low. When fully developed, the eggs will remain in this stage and will wait for the rainy season to start and flood the nests. Once the nests are flooded, the eggs will start to hatch.
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Photo from Trinidad Express
