Posted on: 2017-10-24 10:30:30
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Turtle news we found interesting recently.
Have you seen these stories? A brand new Sea Turtle Nursery in Connecticut. A motel dedicated to injured sea turtles. Scientists protecting their research subjects.
Plus smugglers arrested, more education about turtles needed, and many more stories.
Recent U. S. Turtle News
Have you seen the new Sea Turtle Nursery? What about The Turtle Hospital? It’s quite a unique place! There’s also a useful invention from a groups of young students, art created from plastic waste, and much more.
The Maritime Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Nursery is open! Did you miss the baby loggerheads’ introduction to the public last Friday? It’s ok, because he’ll be there until next October, growing big & strong until he can go home. Then a new little hatchling will take his place.
Surgery in motel rooms & a strip club? Sure, if you’re a sea turtle visiting The Turtle Hospital! Because that’s what the Hospital used to be. Now that’s the ultimate in repurposing! 💗
Jail time for attacking a sea turtle: The man who stabbed a sea turtle in Hawaii last April has been sentenced. He will spend a year in jail.
End the sale of sulcata tortoises? That’s what American Tortoise Rescue and various organizations across the country want. But why? Because people don’t realize how big they get or how much work they are. Rescue organizations have so many surrendered sulcatas they have no room for any more. 🙁
Rehabbed turtle rediscovered: The turtle had a healed crack in her shell. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota was able to identify her as a prior patient based on pictures. So nice to see evidence of rehabbed animals still doing well. 💗
Three Gulfarium guests return home: Two juvenile green sea turtles & a kemp’s ridley were finally well enough to return to sea. One was actually being released for the 2nd time in a month.
Elementary school students invent the Sea Turtle Accessible Relocator crate: It won them 1st prize at a robotics tournament. Even better, the crate helped the Loggerhead Marinelife Center safely move some nests in danger from Irma last month!
Using art to raise awareness of plastic pollution: Wendy Constance started out just walking her dog on the beach. Today she collects plastic garbage on her walks and turns much of it into art. She wants to raise awareness of the amount of plastic we throw away and how it all hurts sea turtles, birds, and other wildlife.
Is this harassment of a sea turtle? Many people believe it is … including the people involved. So why can’t they leave it in peace? 🙁
And remember, the Tour de Turtles is almost over. And the Sea Turtle Open House is coming up in just over a month.
- The Tour de Turtles is down to its final 8 days. Keep checking in … it’s not over ‘til it’s over!
- Learn about sea turtles at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary’s Sea Turtle Open House. It happens on Saturday, November 25 in South Wellfleet, Massachusetts.
Recent International Turtle News
We’ve got baby snappers, baby loggerheads, and Olive Ridley nests. There’s also a long rehab, secretive scientists, and more.
Patience pays off in turtle hatchlings: They protected the snapping turtle nest at the end of their driveway. Then they waited … and waited. Just when all hope of babies was almost lost, up they popped! 💗 (Canada)
Snapper hatchlings are safe: Mama snapping turtles tend to like the gravely edges of roads & parking lots to lay their nests. They don’t realize that puts the babies in danger. Helpful humans whisked 41 little hatchlings out of danger’s way last week in Peterborough, Ontario.
Watch a loggerhead nest hatch: Speaking of patience, you’ll need it if you watch this entire video. Or you could just skip to the good part. BBC Earth livestreamed the hatching last week. If you missed it, catch the recording here. (West Africa)
Paddleboarder saves encrusted turtle: The poor thing was completely covered in barnacles & algae. She could barely move. Now she has a chance to survive. Includes video. (Sydney, Australia)
Turtle smuggler arrested in Chennai: He was apparently part of a larger turtle poaching syndicate. (India)
3 years of rehab a success: Nobody was sure Dilek the loggerhead sea turtle would even survive. He had a deep head wound and weighed only 40 kilograms (44 pounds). But survive he did, and he has finally gone back home to the sea. (Turkey)
Olive Ridley nesting season starts early in Goa: It’s been many years since they’ve nested here this early. Hopefully this means conservation efforts in the area are working.
Where are turtle populations still surviving? These scientists won’t tell. It’s the best way to stop poachers from finding them. 🙁
Minimizing light’s effects on sea turtle hatchlings on Mon Repos: Florida sea turtle biologist Dr. Blair Witherington will be talking about the issue next month. (Queensland, Australia)
500 turtles & tortoises still facing homelessness: They live at the Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum in Singapore. The museum has to move from its long-time home because of development. Its owner has been looking for a new place for months, but has not yet found anything suitable. 🙁
Will a warming earth lead to all female turtles? Maybe not all female, but the trend is already skewing toward many more females than males. This is because nest temperature determines how eggs develop, and warmer temperatures encourages embryos to become female.
Environmentalist pushes for more turtle education: Many people still don’t understand the danger turtles face, why they need protection, or their importance in the environment.