Sea Turtle Conservation vs. National Marine Fisheries Service

Four sea turtle conservation groups recently announced their intention to file a lawsuit against the National Marine Fisheries Service for inadequately protecting sea turtles from the dangers of shrimp trawling.  They feel the NMFS has violated the Endangered Species Act and have given them far longer than the appropriate amount of time to respond to less powerful objections to their complacency.

Conservation and Farming Don't Mix

It has been revealed that there is "much room for improvement" in the way the turtles are cared for at the Cayman Island turtle farm. All I can think is, who believed a farm could sell turtle meat for food AND save the species at the same time? Not me. 

Inside the Cayman Islands' sea turtle tourist trap

You Tube Tuesday - Barrow Island

Josh from "Its Tiger Time" invented You Tube Tuesday so we could each share one video a week which we found to be fun, inspiring or otherwise noteworthy.  If you choose to participate, don't forget to leave your links in my comments section (so I can come visit you) and on Josh's page (so you can be part of the contest).  

I hope you like the turtle video I chose for you this week!  I'm taking a break from the funny videos at the moment to show you another about conservation.  It is nice to know that Chevron is giving back.

YOU TUBE TUESDAY - Tour de Turtles 2011

Of the many things being done to promote turtle causes, Tour de Turtles is likely the most creative.  Begun in 2008, this turtle marathon is a race and educational journey to see which turtle travels the farthest in it's annual migration.  The sea turtles are sponsored by conservation agencies and corporations all over the world and tracked using satellite telemetry.  Their website is absolutely amazing.  The home page shows what place each turtle is in at the moment and how far they have swum to date.  From there you can click to a world map with drawings of the routes each participant is swimming.  However, without a doubt, the "meet the turtles" page is my favorite.  If you scroll your cursor over the turtles, they do an animated dance.  It is completely hilarious.  Pokey and I are routing for Bubbles because we like her dance the best.  She's in 8th place at the moment, but we believe in her.  Go Bubbles, GO!!!

I couldn't find any videos of Bubbles, but it seems that Rapunzel has a sufficient fan base to land herself an appearance on You Tube.  So, without further adieu, happy You Tube Tuesday everyone!  I hope you'll enjoy this break from my humorous turtle video contributions.

Josh from "Its Tiger Time" invented You Tube Tuesday so we could each share one video a week which we found to be fun, inspiring or otherwise noteworthy.  If you choose to participate, don't forget to leave your links in my comments section (so Pokey and I can come visit you) and on Josh's page (to enter the contest).

Turtle Reef at Sea World® San Diego

As of this summer, Pokey and I live about 215 miles away from the largest sea turtle display in the world.  That is when they opened the Turtle Reef exhibit at Sea World® in San Diego.  In August, I paid my beloved sea turtle friends a visit.

The nearly 300,000 gallon tank is breathtaking.  Wall-to-wall coral reefs are home to nearly 60 hawksbill and green sea turtles and a vibrant display of tropical fish.  I stood there staring with the childlike wonder of a four year old for nearly five minutes before snapping a hundred pictures with my camera.

It was apparent that the turtles don't always like their tank mates...

or perhaps they just get bored and like to put on a show.  (No sea turtles were injured during this fin and neck nibbling moment, however, many bystanders were overcome with giggles watching them play.)

The tank at Sea World® is also home to quite a few baby sea turtles which hatched there in 2009.  Although some may feel more than a sigh over the fact that their fins have never truly felt the currents of the big blue, I think they are quite happy in this serene environment, carefully protected from the harsh realities of everyday ocean life.  Sea World® shows it's dedication to sea turtles in the wild through it's non-profit foundation, the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, which donates millions of dollars to animal conservation projects every year.  It made me smile to know my ticket proceeds would spoil not only these turtles, but also other needy populations all over the world... and many other animals at the park and elsewhere.

Farewell Turtle Dreams

Image © Rachel Hoyt.  All rights reserved.

I'm one of those people that knows you have to live life today or you'll miss out on the special moments, but somehow, despite living near it for 15 years, I failed to visit Turtle Dreams before it closed.  I've heard about the "place in Montecito for rescued turtles" for years and wished I could build an extravagant enclosure for my turtle Pokey for even longer, but somehow I never tried to visit until last week.  Jeanie Vaughan rushed to answer the my call just ten seconds after the answering tape began, but moments later her tired yet cheerful voice told me it was not a good time for me to visit because they were closing down. 

Jeanie and her husband Dennis retired to Montecito in 1995 with 15 turtles.  By 2008 they had built their own private zoo and were caring for 500 rescued turtles and tortoises.  These days it is just Jeanie, her daughter Christy, and community support that care for the elaborate collection.  Jeanie says she has friends all over the world helping her find new homes for the turtles and tortoises currently living with her.  I hope that wherever they go, they will always remember the woman who showed them a small slice of heaven, but feel equally pampered, loved and nurtured by their new environment.

I think the thing that is hardest about loving turtles is knowing that if you nurture them well, it is highly likely they will outlive you.  It is every parent's worst nightmare to leave their child penniless and forced to take care of themselves.  Nearly every turtle owner must face this terror, or worse, the knowledge that their inadequacies as a caretaker may have shortened the life of a mystical creature.

Jeanie, Dennis and Christy Vaughan have offered a dreamlike experience to turtles and turtle lovers for over a decade.  Pokey and I wish to thank them for their years of service.  Your contribution to turtle and tortoise conservation will not be forgotten.


FOOTNOTES:

An anonymous commenter below states that they are close friends with Jeanie Vaughan and that she wants the public to know she is not closing down completely.  Call Turtle Dreams at (805)969-5128 for more information.


Topaz & Tillman saw this post and wanted to say thank you to Jeanine for finding them a lovely home.

The World's Sea Turtles on a Map

I've been looking for a map of all the turtle nesting locations in the world, because I thought a link to that would be a nice, fun, easy post for the turtle nesting season.  It turns out, such things are not so easy to find.  However, this map entitled The State of the World's Sea Turtles is pretty darn close and will likely continue to develop into an even more comprehensive source.  I wish they showed both the common and scientific names for each species, but either way it has an amazing amount of data on the number of female turtles at each site and how many laid eggs (clutches) there.  Pokey and I highly recommend you head over and check it out.

Christmas Gift Ideas

A $25 tax-deductible donation to the Caribbean Conservation & Sea Turtle Survival League you will get a sea turtle folder containing a personalized adoption certificate, logo-decal, magnet, and a Sea Turtle Conservation Guide. They even have options to name your own turtle or adopt a sattelite tracked turtle so you can view their migration patterns online!

http://www.cccturtle.org/adoptaturtle.php

For as little as $35 you can adopt a sea creature via oceana.org and get a free creature cookie cutter or cuddly plush toy. Every adoption comes with a personalized certificate and gift wrapping is available. Free shipping through Midnight on December 18th.

http://takeaction.oceana.org/t/7423/content.jsp?content_KEY=4118