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EspañolThe sea turtle is one of North America’s most treasured species. People often pay huge amounts on excursions to witness these creatures in their natural habitat, swimming among coral reefs in the middle of stark blue seas.
There are currently seven sea or marine turtle species in existence: Hawksbill, Loggerhead, Leatherback, Olive ridley, Green, Flatback, and Kemp’s ridley. Most of them can live up to 100 years.
However, it is estimated that only one in 1,000 sea turtles survive to see adulthood and mate to expand their species. There are many reasons for their decline in survival—some natural and some man-made. This is why saving sea turtles is a critical need all over the world.
Fortunately, Paso Pacifico is one of the biggest proponents for conservation on the Pacific Coast. Read on for all you need to know about sea turtles and how you can help them.
Helping with this process is very important because releasing turtles is done for guided conservation activity, where hatchling or rehabilitated animals are freed into the ocean to boost their chances of survival. It involves letting baby turtles crawl across the sand at sunset or dawn to imprint on their birth beach and strengthen muscles.
Sea Turtles: A Marine Maricle
Did you know that there’s a lot of sea turtles all around the world? They’re amazing and beautiful, and can grow up a lot (up to 1,500 pounds and 63 inches). Their diet usually consists of jellyfish, seaweed, sponges or squids, but other types like the green turtles just eat grass or algae.
They can also swim thousands of miles during their life, exploring the oceans. This is done specially to find food or a perfect spot to lay their eggs. Most of the species are classified as endangered today, because humans exploit their eggs, shells and meat. Climate change also worsened their situation, making their nesting habits change.
Why Are Sea Turtles Endangered?
Do you know why turtles are vital for the marine ecosystem? They eat jellyfish and also protect the coral reefs. Isn’t that surprising? Some species control the population of jellyfish and fish stocks, with adult ones eating up to 1,200 pounds of sponges, which greatly help to keep the balance of the entire ecosystem.
El Salvador and sea turtle protectionists around the world are working diligently to educate people about the issue and save these precious animals. Here are some reasons for significant decline in their number:
Feeding
It’s very common for some cultures or even religions to use their meat as protein. While it’s prohibited in some places, illegal hunting is sadly very common. Poaching eggs and selling them are a normal currency. Governments must try to spread awareness even more and stop this process of consuming turtle eggs and meat.
Poaching
According to some experts more than 1 million sea turtles have been poached for their skin and shells in the last 30 years. That’s a massive number and we must work really hard to reduce it. Skin is used for leather, while shells are used for jewelry and other accessories.
Fishing
Fishermen are venturing further into the ocean to keep up with consumer demand and get a decent catch. Sea turtles accidentally get caught in their nets, leading to severe injuries and even death.
Survival of the Fittest
Sea turtles lay eggs near the coast, bury them in the sand, and then go back to swimming, not seeing their children again. The life of a baby’s marine turtle begins without her mother, and the first hours before it survives are very dependent on its strength and flexibility.
Every year, thousands upon thousands of newborns are born by themselves, with only the most worthy – a very small number – to crawl in the sea and to grow in its vastness. That’s why it’s so important to not touch or participate, allowing them to hatch.
Climate Change
Millions of coral reefs have been destroyed or are under threat due to climate change. According to the WWF, 50% of the world’s shallow coral reefs have been lost, and the rest could disappear by 2050.
Increasing sea levels have led to more storms, leading to lower survival rates for coral reefs.
The temperature of the sand determines the sex of sea turtle hatchlings. Higher temperatures produce more females, while lower temperatures produce males. Climate change has caused temperatures to rise, creating a disparity in sex ratios that has led to population issues.
Pollution
It is estimated that a sea turtle has a 22% chance of dying from consuming just one piece of plastic. It is a matter of regret that about 1,000 sea turtles die every year due to the spread of plastic waste in the sea and miles of coasts.
In addition, the polluted beaches block the path of hatching of marine turtles trying to crawl into the sea. Cleaning these places are a must to save endangered species in El Salvador, the Caribbean and worldwide.
Conservation Goals for Sea Turtle Populations
Sea turtles in El Salvador are protected by conservationists that have faced several obstacles, mainly to smuggle illegal eggs due to predators and less complicated routes.
Paso Pacifico has a unique and innovative approach to conservation. Our mission is to protect biodiversity by collaborating with local communities, land owners and partner organizations to restore and protect houses.
One of its biggest projects has been the development of the InvestEGGator, a GPS-GSM tracking device that looks like real sea turtle eggs. These very hard to notice objects are applied to the actual maritime turtle nest, so when the hunters smuggled the eggs, experts can chart and follow the real-time map of their routes. Successfully identifying these routes will significantly reduce the smuggling of turtle eggs at the domestic and even international level.
The final goal is to reach around 50 award winning InvestEGGator across Central America to take smugglers down and save more and more marine turtles!
How Can We Help the Sea Turtles?
Here are some ways you can contribute toward the conservation of sea turtles:
Avoid Overconsumption of Plastic
Avoiding single-use plastic items like straws, cups, water bottles, bags, and other containers can significantly reduce waste in the long run.
Participate in Beach-Cleaning Drives
Did you know that there’s a lot you can do to help? Cleaning beaches, for example! This helps not only sea turtles, but every other species. Hatchlings can find their way to the ocean way easier this way, avoiding plastics!
Learn About Sea Turtle Nesting Areas
Studying where sea turtles nest can also help people take more responsibility for hatchlings’ survival. Initiatives like cleaning up the beach, quarantining nesting areas during the season, and prohibiting flashlights at night can aid conservation.
Donate Toward Sea Turtle Conservation
Consider donating to organizations that work toward the conservation of sea turtles. Your donations provide them with much-needed resources to save sea turtles in more ways than you can imagine. In Paso Pacifico we have been working for years helping different conservation centers in El Salvador.
Conclusion
Sea turtles in El Salvador are a beautiful thing to see, and that’s why we must keep them alive. Even with the many regulations and strict rules that are passed, they’re still on the brink of disappearing. That’s why we must do our best to avoid this. Australia, the Caribbean and the Americas are some of the most important places of poaching for eggs, tipping the scale in the wrong direction.
This means that everyone needs to learn and educate themselves about why we must keep them protected. If you can support organizations that take care of these endangered species, we can save many creatures. Paso Pacifico is one of these, ensuring that these poor animals can live to see another day!