How sea turtle endangered

Of the six sea turtle species that are found in U.S. waters or that nest on U.S. beaches, all are designated as either threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

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.

About The Author: Danielle Rose is a featured writer for
ForTurtles. To learn more about the protection of sea turtles,
visit http://www.forturtles.com/seaturtles/ and to learn about
pet turtles, visit http://www.forturtles.com/petturtles/

In 1984, NOAA Fisheries and the USFWS approved a multi-species recovery plan for five species of sea turtles occurring in the U.S. the Endangered Sea Turtle is a air-breathing reptile with streamlined body and large flippers, and is well adapted to life in the marine environment. They inhabit tropical and subtropical ocean waters throughout the world.

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