Aquila Children's Magazine AQUILA Magazine Best Bits | Page 87

Why’s that? Surely it is great for
tourists to see loggerhead turtles in
action? Ed
Yes, responsible tourism can be a
great way for humans to interact and
learn about other living creatures but
sometimes, quite without realising it,
we can also hinder the natural process
that creatures like loggerheads need in
order to survive.
How can my holiday in Crete
affect turtles? I may have a picnic
and make the odd sandcastle, but
that ’s pretty much it. I’m there to
relax. Ed
FUN FACT TRUMPET
Sea turtles have projections in
their throats called papillae. They
use these to trap their food so
that they can burp out the
excess salt water. Ingenious!
BEACH POLLUTION
Beach pollution can be a major
obstacle for nesting females and
loggerhead hatchlings. If a beach is
polluted the female may decide not
to lay her eggs there. Instead she
might end up laying them
somewhere even less suitable. If she
does lay them, once the eggs hatch,
the tiny hatchlings may struggle to
get past obstacles such as sandcastles
and crisp packets. They may be
unable to make their way quickly to
the ocean. Even sun-loungers and
beachfront lights can be problematic,
causing the hatchlings to become
disorientated. And it’s not just baby
sea turtles that can be affected by
rubbish, adult loggerheads have been
known to mistake floating plastic
bags for a tasty jellyfish meal.
FUN FACT TRUMPET
Males never return to land
after they enter the ocean
as hatchlings.
FUN FACT TRUMPET
The best thing we can do as tourists is
to leave beaches as we find them (or
cleaner). Take your rubbish home and
flatten any sandcastles before
you leave.
In addition to individuals like you
and me acting responsibly when on
holiday, what else is being done to
protect loggerheads?
WORKING TOGETHER
Around the world, organisations such
as WWF work globally and with
specific countries to protect marine
turtles. Greece has its own
organisation, called ARCHELON, which
forms part of the international strategy
on sea turtle conservation. Since 1983
they have been protecting sea turtles
and their habitats in and around
Greece. Monitoring and researching
behaviour, restoring habitats and
raising public awareness, as well as
rehabilitating sick and injured turtles.
In many coastal destinations, from
Greece to Grenada, Costa Rica to
California, there are organisations that
offer people the chance to volunteer
with sea turtle conservation
projects. This allows people to get
involved in monitoring, nest
protection and public awareness
activities, whilst experiencing some
of the world’s best beaches.
Hopefully with everyone from
individual holidaymakers to
governments and businesses
working together, marine turtles like
the loggerhead will increase in
number once again.
Nesting females appear to be
crying while they are out on the
beaches, this is actually excretion
of excess salt through a salt gland.
LOGGERHEADS IN
CAPTIVITY
The Deep Aquarium in Hull has two
loggerhead sea turtles – Sensa and
Mabouche – that were rescued from
the Mediterranean Sea after losing
their lower jaws as a result of being
caught on a longline (a commercial
fishing technique). In addition,
Mabouche has some healed damage
to her shell where she was hit by a
boat propeller, resulting in nerve
damage to her back flippers. To help
her rebuild her strength, Shoshana
Levine and her team at The Deep carry
out ‘sea turtle aerobics’. Keepers offer
up resistance so that Mabouche has to
push against them, using her flippers
as much as she can! Unfortunately,
Sensa and Mabouche can never be
released back into the wild. Their
injuries mean they would not be able
to fend for themselves.
Estevez.
(relatively) safe place to grow and learn
all there is to know about a life at sea.
Islands such as Crete are important
destinations for female loggerheads to
nest. However, these prime nesting
areas are also popular tourist
destinations. Sometimes turtles and
tourism conflict.