2008 International Year of The Reef. May 23 World Turtle Day

I know many here go to Mexico and enjoy it. Me too.

But during my trips to Mexico I have seen things change and the following video is one of the things I am working on to help call attention to issues facing the area. Since World Turtle Day is right around the corner I thought I would post it now.

Akumal...In Decline ( 1st Place, Conservation, Underwater Images 2008 )

well done, congratulations

Thanks Drew. Congrats on the 1st. Well deserved. Has anyone in Mexico seen this? Do you have a Spanish version?

Steve

well done, congratulations

Thanks Drew. Congrats on the 1st. Well deserved. Has anyone in Mexico seen this? Do you have a Spanish version?

 

Steve

Thanks guys.

Steve, no Spanish version yet of the video, something we are working on.

nice work

Very nice Drew!!!! And Anna is a very good video judge I think....

For "World Turtle Day" I'd also like to add these photos of "Skylar". She is a female loggerhead sea turtle - stranded last fall.

Here she is getting a cat-scan on Oct. 25, 2007. The prognosis was grave and they expected her to "pass" at any time. (Photos courtesy Tammy Langer-Clearwater Marine Aquarium Turtle Rehab)

But just to show how resilient sea turtles are......... fast forward to April 2008-her release on Clearwater Beach!.....

April 8, 2008 here is a link to a nice video of her release:

Why is it important we spend all the time and resources rehabbing sea turtles? Besides being on the endangered species list - listed as threatened since 1978 - loggerhead sea turtle populations in particular are experiencing a dramatic decrease in their populations in our part of the world. While the nesting population of endangered green sea turtles are doing somewhat better around Florida, loggerheads have seen a dramatic decline in nesting activity, etc. This is due to a number of factors and it is just possible that we are only now seeing the results of sea turtles for years being caught and drown in nets in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. But I also cannot ever forget in 2005 witnessing a number of the, as I recall, 98 female turtles (95 loggerheads and 2 kemps ridley nesting females) all wash up dead or dying w/ nerve damage from a rare and massive red tide event in our area. And this was just the dying sea turtle stats from one week for just our Dunedin/Clearwater/St Petersburg area! Basically a whole generation of loggerhead hatchlings lost during that nesting season along a long stretch of coastline that went from Tarpon Springs down to Ft Myers, Florida.

So many creatures to save..........., but it gives me hope that there are such things as "World Turtle Day" and such fine people, photos and video around to help these endangered species of sea turtles.

Thanks and congrats again Drew! Carol

Very nice Drew!!!! And Anna is a very good video judge I think....

I think I have a couple of things the judges have written or produced around here somewhere (As an aside my wife and I were discussing the Lionfish appearing in the Carribean and she mentioned this project that Ned and Anna are involved and that it is going to air on National Geographic at some point.)

For "World Turtle Day" I'd also like to add these photos of "Skylar". She is a female loggerhead sea turtle - stranded last fall.

The shots of Skylar in the video of her face were wonderful - I always think turtles have a look that shows they know everything. Of course pretty much everything gives me a thrill when diving, but the times when a sea turtle comes by and hangs out for a bit is always special. Thanks for the update about CMA (had not looked at the site recently) - I have alot of respect for people who do what they do.

Why is it important we spend all the time and resources rehabbing sea turtles? Besides being on the endangered species list - listed as threatened since 1978 - loggerhead sea turtle populations in particular are experiencing a dramatic decrease in their populations in our part of the world. While the nesting population of endangered green sea turtles are doing somewhat better around Florida, loggerheads have seen a dramatic decline in nesting activity, etc.

Thought Akumal is a nesting ground for Loggerhead and Green turtles, Hawksbills are the ones I think I see the most often when diving, followed by Green turtles. I rarely see Loggerheads. The nests are split about equally (accoring to reports last year there were 82 Loggerhead nests and 67 Green nests). They face amazing challenges and few actually survive when they do make it to the sea.

As we watched the hatchlings head out it was bittersweet (similar to releasing the rehabbed turtles I would guess.) Amazing to watch the process and see them scurry to the safety of the sea but knowing many would not even make it during the next few hours. I watched some of them swim out as long as I could to see if they were going to be successful in making it to a safe place, such as hidden away in seaweed, and I often look at the video and wonder which one of the turtles made it or which one I may see in a few years.

Unfortunately many did not make it out of the nest. The hurricane compacted the sand on the beach which makes it even more difficult for them to get out of the nest, they have a limited amount of strength, or suffocates them. And of course the protection afforded by the reefs of the beach is also lessening. I am sure you have also seen the same thing.

Thanks and congrats again Drew!

Carol

Thanks