Week 6: Sea Turtles

Sleeping Green Turtle in Maui (2019).

This entry will be a lot different that my past blogs, instead I’ll be discussing how all my experiences with sea turtles have contributed to my decision to pursue wildlife and conservation biology. Also, all photos are my own this time!

Overall there’s 7 distinct species of sea turtles; loggerhead, green, hawksbill, leatherback, Kemp’s ridley, olive ridley, and the flatback. Unfortunately, the only species not listed in the IUCN is the flatback, which is not endemic to U.S. waters. The rest are either noted as threatened or endangered.

I could just recite fun facts for the rest of this, but you can’t truly know an animal just based on its Wikipedia page, experiencing one in its natural environment is the best way a person can connect with an animal.

It was August 2019, and I was visiting my Mom’s home state of Hawai’i for the second time. The first I was too little to remember our time in her home island of Oahu, but this time on Maui, I can still remember everything.

I can visualize our condo surrounded by every color of lizard and gecko, invading our porch for afternoon sun-bathing. Those lanky birds that snapped up those lizards, and then the feral cats that chased those birds. Oh the circle of life in resort-run Wailea. Unfortunately, I was nervous about such a sunny place at first, as I only wore glasses then, meaning I couldn’t see in the water, and on land I’d have to wear ridiculous hats that barely blocked the sun. Thankfully prescription scuba goggles came in handy for the first, so I could view the reefs and scold the ignorant tourists who stand on coral formations.

The second I dipped my head in the water with those goggles, my world became clearer, but not for long. Between my legs was a green sea turtle, just chilling on the sandy bottom. Naturally I freaked out, blubbering through my snorkel to my nearby family and kicking up sand. The turtle swam off, and I was on its tail until it disappeared into the cracks of the reef.

Throughout my time on Wailea’s beaches, I encountered or at least saw over 10 turtles. This made me incredibly hopeful despite all the coverage of the status of turtles. Whenever I would go in that water, I would observe any turtle I saw, quietly following them with my brother in tow. I wanted to see what they ate, and why they were so healthy here. I pursued a passionate interest in simply understanding these animals, but I was most astounded by was their coolness with humans. I recall my brother was resting in the grassy shallows, and a large sea turtle approached him, even swimming after my brother when he attempted to avoid the turtle’s touch.

My brother with a sleeping Green sea turtle in Maui (2019).

It’s hard for me to put into words the beauty I was able to see in these turtles thriving in a relatively healthy coral environment (comparatively). But all I knew is that I needed to help other animals thrive against human threats.

Last summer, I bore witness to conservation in action when visiting The Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida. There I was introduced to the true human impact on sea turtles, with many of the hospital residents injured by boat collisions and fishing activities.

Loggerhead sea turtle recovering, (2021).

It was there I was able to learn the basics of conservation work, and I was provided a more concrete direction through my passions and career choices. Thus, my path into the wildlife sciences was paved by turtles.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_turtle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatback_sea_turtle

https://www.seeturtles.org/sea-turtle-species

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/kemps-ridley-turtle#:~:text=Kemp’s%20ridley%20sea%20turtles%20are,species%20for%20identification%20in%201906.