Page 76 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #10
P. 76
“We started to focus Left: a school
visit to Mote
on educating Marine Aquarium
Below: a new
hatchling makes
people… It became its precarious
journey from
about teaching the nest to
the shoreline.
them how to share
beaches with turtles.”
Simple ways to
help sea turtles
Volunteering isn’t the only way to
make a diference – we all have a part
to play in our everyday lives, even
when we’re a long way from turtle
nesting beaches.
ON SEA TURTLE BEACHES
O Avoid taking chairs and cool
boxes as they can inadvertently
crush turtle nests.
O Dim mobile phones from dusk
to dawn, or keep them of the order to select two adult females to tag. Back silvery, eerie time of morning and the sun
beach altogether. Artificial lights on the island, Suzi talks about how they have comes up, I watch the grains of sand change
disorientate turtles. focused on outreach. from grey to golden,” she says. “You have this
O Choose watersports with care as “In the mid-2000s, we started to focus beautiful water that also changes colour. That
turtles may be drawn to the sound on educating people,” she says. “Once we quiet, peaceful time… it just fills your heart.”
of outboard motors and sometimes started doing that, the tone of everything But Mary’s tone shifts from calm to intense
don’t see boats until it’s too late. changed. It became about teaching people as she describes how a plastic bag floating in
O Don’t fish near nesting beaches how to share beaches with turtles.” Suzi the water can appear to a leatherback turtle
or, better still, visit fish instead by trains beach walkers to chat to residents and like its favourite food – jellyfish – and how
going snorkelling or scuba-diving. holidaymakers about their work, and leaflets eating plastic will eventually kill it. Even
with conservation tips are distributed to species that don’t normally prey on jellyfish
ELSEWHERE shops, hotels and restaurants. may end up ingesting plastic.
O Use reusable containers to avoid Mary is optimistic that people can and will
the single-use plastics in food- Enjoying marine life help care for sea turtles. “You’ll see folk
wrappers and carrier bags. Guided walks on beaches and Turtle Tuesday walking along the beach with a bag picking
O Say no to the use of plastic talks are free to the public. The message up rubbish. They’re not part of any organised
straws since plastic never Suzi want to communicate? “Look what’s group – they’re simply here to enjoy the
disintegrates, but merely breaks happening because you are doing the right beach and marine life,” she says. “All living
down into microplastics. thing. Take a bow! You made the difference creatures on Earth are our responsibility.”
O Don’t release balloons as they can in what’s going on with sea turtles today by
entangle and choke sea life; turtles doing the right thing.” MARGO PIERCE is based in the
often mistake deflated balloons and Mary Lechleidner is a retired teacher and USA and writes about wildlife and
strings for food. turtle watch volunteer. Her vivid description science; extraordinarylimits.com
O Adopt a nesting turtle through one of sunrises on the Gulf of Mexico reveals
of the various schemes, such as the her deep love of the natural world. “When FIND OUT MORE Florida’s AMI Turtle
one run by AMI Turtle Watch. I’m walking along the shoreline and it’s that Watch: islandturtlewatch.com
76 BBC Wildlife October 2018
