Watch Turtles Hatch In The Wild
Watching these little guys as their tiny little flippers pop up through the sand ready to scurry their way to the big blue has to be one of the most beautiful natural and memorable experiences in the world! If you set out with a professional guide, you can watch this natural phenomenon without interfering with the hatchlings or their natural habitat. Be sure to do your research as timing and location are paramount as well as being crystal clear on how to respect these animals and their environment.
Sea Turtles populations are sadly facing grave danger at the hands of humans ( Plastic, pollution and poaching, just to name a few ways humans intervene) have drastically reduced the survival rate of sea turtles to a devasting 1% or less. Nearly all species of sea turtle are now classified as endangered, with three of the seven existing species being critically endangered. Beaches that are nesting grounds for sea turtles are now widely protected around the world at the time of nesting and hatching, which is critical for the survival of the beautiful creatures. Government agencies, researchers and volunteers monitor these beaches and help hatchlings make the journey safely to the water. These measures have helped turtle populations increase, but moving forward, our everyday actions will significantly impact the survival of sea turtles.
Here are some things you can do to make sure our sea turtles stay on the planet:
🐢 Raise awareness - education is power! Share this experience by sharing on your social media or share your own research/experience to educate and raise awareness; this will influence people to make kinder choices that foster a safer future for our turtle friends.
🐢Participate in coastal clean-ups to keep our beaches and oceans clean, or anytime you see rubbish on or near a beach - pick it up and put it in the bin. 🙏🏻
🐢 Ditch single-use plastic; millions of plastic bags and plastic straws are being used by people every day, and it's ending up in waterways killing marine life. So ditch single-use plastic, switch to an eco straw, get yourself a reusable water bottle and save the turtles!
🐢 Enjoy swimming or snorkelling with these marvellous creatures but always remain at a distance from them and do not hinder their swimming.
🐢Never feed or attempt to feed sea turtles- its harmful to them (and illegal!)
🐢 If you are ever witnessing a sea turtle nesting or you see hatchlings surfacing the sand always abide by the guidelines of a professional guide.
🐢If you are not with a professional guide: remember never to photograph hatchlings using a flash or light source of any sort, light can easily disorient hatchlings, hindering their race to the ocean and mothers are easily disturbed when nesting.
🐢 Do not handle hatchlings; sunscreen, moisturising creams, insect repellent etc. that may be on your hands can be toxic to them.
🐢It's imperative that you do not interfere with hatchling's crawl to the sea. When Hatchlings are making their way to the ocean across the sand, they are responding to environmental cues that are necessary for their survival. If a hatchling has wandered inland, only then with clean hands can you bring them nearer to the water's edge, but ensure you allow them to scramble into the ocean by themselves.
🐢If you see hatchling scurrying to the ocean, you are welcome to CAREFULLY frighten birds, crabs, dogs and any other predators away. Nearly all species of sea turtle are now classified as endangered, so helping the survival of this species is paramount.
🐢 Support sea turtle conservation by getting involved!
Would you love to see these the little guys make their dash to the sea?
