Pet Turtle Care: Where You Can Diving with Turtle

Green Turtles, Hawksbills, Olive Ridleys and Leatherbacks can be found when diving in the Indo-Pacific region. Other types of turtle are indigenous to specific areas for example the Black Turtle in the Americas and the Flatback in Australian waters.

Luckily for scuba divers, all but the Leatherback are found predominantly in coastal areas. Leatherbacks are highly oceanic and venture into shallower water only for breeding purposes.

Very few other creatures are as symbolic to marine conservation efforts as the sea turtle. The sad fact about turtles is that they are literally in the soup...

Loss of breeding grounds due to beach development is a particular concern given that some beaches which once witnessed thousands of turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs now see but a few. Human development, bright lights, rubbish and activity can all discourage females from nesting.

Discarded flotsam, such as plastic bags, are often mistaken by turtles as jellyfish with deadly consequences. Shrimp nets and other fishing apparatus also account for great numbers of turtles who become entangled and just like we would, run out of air and drown.

Turtle meat and soup is still widely available in many parts of the world, including Bali; and turtle eggs are considered an aphrodisiac in certain cultures. However deaths at the hands of humans are not always accidental. The shells are also highly prized for decorative purposes or to be transformed into items such mundane, functional items as combs and spectacles.

So what protective measures can be taken?

The "Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species" (CITES) controls international trade in endangered and threatened species. Sea turtles are covered under Appendix I of this agreement and receive protection from international trade by all countries that have signed the treaty.

On a local scale the dive resorts on Sipadan Island, for example, have been closed to tourists since January 2005 allowing an island which was previously full of nesting turtles to be given the chance to return to its former status. Scuba divers can however visit Sipadan Island by purchasing day permits. Many also adhere to strict rules regarding external lights at night and guests behaviour in relation to nesting.

Despite these measures, turtle populations are dwindling...

World-wide population numbers for sea turtle species do not exist and all figures you will find are based on estimates of the number of nesting females based on nesting beach monitoring reports and publications at varying times. As such it is difficult to state meaningful worldwide numbers.

However what is clear is that local population numbers all record declining populations across every species and the forecast for the future of the turtles on current rates of killing is bleak.

Do you want to know where you can dive with turtles?

Probably the best place is off Malaysia's coast of Sarah where dive spots such as Sipadan offer great turtle diving opportunities.

My recommendations for the best spots for you to dive with turtles are Sipadan Island, the Maldives, Komodo and the Similan Islands.

The island of Sipadan (and many others around Sabah's eastern coast) is a nesting site for turtles. Scuba divers who slip into the surrounding waters are often excited by their first sighting of a turtle. Resting in ledges and on corals, rising to the surface to breathe, the turtles are everywhere!. The excitement can soon turn to amazement as at some dives spotting 20 to 30 different turtles is not uncommon.

In Thailand, you can see turtles most frequently around the Similan Islands at sites such as Donald Duck Bay, but you may be lucky enough to spot them at just about any of the destinations, throughout the country.

The turtle is also among the sights you can expect when diving in Komodo, in Indonesia although you may find yourself distracted with all the other fantastic marine life here.

Pet Turtle Care: Eighty-Six Percent of Sea Turtles Are on the Brink of Extinction

Pet Turtle Care

According to foreign media reports, in the existing seven kinds of sea turtles, there are six kinds of species on the brink of extinction, which accounted for 86%. Also, there is a trend of further reduction in the number. Scientists have called for a stronger protection of sea turtles as soon as possible.

Sea turtles are the reptiles living in the ocean. There are seven kinds, including hawksbill, the leatherback turtle, green turtle, red turtle, olive ridley, flat back turtles and Kemp's turtles. But over the past century, the other six kinds except flat back turtles, the number had reduced quickly, even to be extinction.

So, what makes the turtles in the brink of extinction? Some professionals said that, there are a lot of factors threatening their survival. For example, human's over fishing, a large of natural enemies damaged the turtle eggs, light pollution effected the directional ability on nesting female sea turtles when they laid their eggs and the coral reefs and other habitat destruction. In addition, the turtle's long life and slow sexual maturation are also the very important factors.

For example, the red turtle takes 12 to 30 years to reach sexual maturity, hawksbill turtles take 30 years, while green turtles require 20-50 years. Such a long time of sexual maturity makes them easily affected by various factors, also the recovery process is very long after plummeted.

Sea turtle is of great significance to human and biosphere. It is not only an important species to maintain the marine ecological balance, but also helpful in monitoring changes in the environment. While we must solve all the factors that made turtles are in the brink of extinction if we want to protect them.

In order to better protect them around the world, some countries invested a large number of money to protect them, mainly for restoration and maintenance of their habitats. These funds can be alleviated some turtles in a certain degree, but the most important thing is to make people fully understand the status of sea turtles and enhance the protection awareness, and also actively refuse a variety of sea turtle products.

Only all the forces together can really play a role in the protection. To protect the turtles is a long-term task, like a relay race. Although in the whole life of a protector, there might be small results. However, in the long run, some protectors make all the forces together through national governments, ecological conservation organizations and fisheries organizations. In this way, the endangered sea turtles will get out of the situation and will be able to once again become prominent. In fact, this is also the human beings to protect themselves.

Pet Turtle Care: Protecting Sea Turtles

Pet Turtle Care

Sea turtles are being protected around the world. National parks are set up along with farms and other organizations that are attempting to protect them. Sea turtles are a difficult animal to protect though because of their migratory habits. They aren''t the kind to stay in one place, and they only come ashore to nest. Most males will never come out of the water once they enter the ocean as a hatchling. The only time they may be seen out of the water is if they are basking in the sun.
Tagging and conservation is a big part of protecting the sea turtles. Tagging helps see the patterns where females are nesting, and helps determine migratory habits.

In Mexico we got to be a part of the protection of the sea turtles. Down the beach from where we were staying was a park protecting the sea turtles. The rangers were there and described sea turtles to us. They told us they were endangered, so they were protecting them. Also, moving the eggs to a safe environment would protect them from predators. Only about one in every thousand that hatch actually survives in the wild, so getting as many to hatch as possible is a good thing.

We got to hold the turtles, and then went down to the water when it got dark out. They took the baby turtles down there too. We all stood in a line where the water just reached us. They gave everyone 2 or 3 baby sea turtles that we let go into the water. None of us were able to move after we let them go because not all of them made it to the water right away. It was a neat experience to see that many baby sea turtles going into the water.

In Costa Rica they also have a park that is protecting the sea turtles. We were able to actually stay at the reserve as volunteers this time though. The volunteers get to go along on the beach patrols. Every night all night someone is patrolling the beaches to make sure every nesting female is tagged, and that they nest is accounted for. They want to know how many eggs are laid, and everything about the nesting female.

If the female hasn''t already been tagged, the ranger or a volunteer will tag the female. This is done with a hand held gun which is similar to piercing your ear. They always check the female first with a transmitter to see if she has been tagged though.

There is a whole sheet of paper work to fill out when a nesting female is seen. They fill out where she was, the date, the time, and how she came to the shore. They want to know everything, so all the paper work must be filled out correctly.

At this park, there is also a hatchery the eggs are taken to. This is the same type of thing as in Mexico, where they are giving every turtle the best chance possible for survival.

Article source: http://www.thefreelibrary.com