Guest Blog Post

Hello!  This week, I have a guest blogger sharing his expertise on sea turtles.  His own blog, Turtles For Beginners gives advice about how to take care of pet turtles.  Everyone should check it out!  His interest in turtles--as well as his expertise--is inspiring!

One of Earth’s Living Fossils

Records show that sea turtles as a species have been living on our planet for at least 150 million years and that the species still alive today have been around for around 110 million years. After having been around for so long what have we learned about them? Let’s go over some of the basics.

Who’s left?

As far as marine scientists and biologists know there are seven species of sea turtles left. There’s the loggerhead, the green, the leatherback, the hawksbill, the kemp’s ridley, the olive ridley, and finally the flatback. If you look at a map showing where most breeding grounds are recorded you’ll notice that many locations lie somewhere along the Equator. This is because many of the environments contain the tropical and sub-tropical beaches that have the climate needed for the babies to hatch. Eventually when the hatchlings are born and make it to the ocean they will spend the rest of their life in the ocean, only ever returning to the shore for air. Only the females will return to the land so that they can give birth to the next generation.

What’s on the menu?

So what do sea turtles eat? Well, that depends on which sea turtle you are talking about. The different species all have different types of mouths for feeding. Loggerheads for example have large, powerful jaws that help them eat creatures with hard shells such as crabs and conchs. Hawksbill turtles have long, sharp and narrow mouths similar to a bird’s beak that let them reach into holes and crevices. Because of this, they are known for eating mostly sponges. Most of the species are either omnivores or carnivores with the exception of the Green turtle, which is an herbivore.

Why are they endangered?

A majority of the seven species of sea turtles are endangered, specifically the green, hawksbill, loggerhead, olive ridley, and leatherback. There are natural reasons certainly such as predators and weather. Unlike the species of turtles found on land, sea turtles cannot retract themselves into their shells making their heads and fins susceptible to larger fish, tiger sharks and killer whales. Coyotes and other large animals combing the beach for food can pillage the nests left on land. Even when the babies hatch gulls looking for a meal can pick them up. Severe weather such as hurricanes can and storms can disrupt their breeding and migration patterns.

A grazing sea turtle
By P.Lindgren (Own work)], via Wikimedia Commons

So what are some of the problems we cause?

Poaching for turtle skins and shells takes place as well as accidental capture in fishing equipment. While we may not be the ones performing these actions, it is important to be aware of them and inform others as well. A problem that may be more relatable is pollution. Plastics and other debris get thrown into the ocean along beaches and can kill sea turtles either through consumption or entanglement.

How can I help?

Helping out is not hard and can be as simple as turning off a light. If you live by a beach and are aware that sea turtles have been known to regularly hatch there try to turn off all your lights that would face the ocean at night. Baby turtles use the reflections made by the moon on the water to find their way to the ocean but sometimes confuse the lights from our houses as the reflected light. If you remember to turn off your lights at night then you are helping the next generation of turtles! Along with living by a beach that’s known for turtle hatchings, if you see a marked off area where a nest is just leave it alone. Baby sea turtles are adorable and fascinating but you also risk disturbing them or trampling over them when you invade their nests. Be respectful of your neighbors.

If you have the time or want to do more, try volunteering! There are several groups that try to help out wherever they can, whether it’s organizing a beach clean-up or by taking care of injured sea turtles.

I hope this helped answer any questions you have about these preserving creatures. They have existed longer than we have and have continued to adapt to the changing world. Try to keep these inspiring animals going!