Species evolve through needs and desires. Sea turtles’ trust in mother earth is so extraordinary that caring and nurturing their offspring never inspired anxiety for the species.
Trust is the root of courage.
Through their trust, Sea Turtles have passed on to us a responsibility to care for our fellow creatures.
When you are 40 millimeters in length, 20 in breadth, and starving, every inch is a mile, every dune a mountain, and every drop an ocean. For hatchlings though, children of the fearless mariners, courage comes naturally.
COURAGE has Genius, Power, and Magic in it.
In their dash to the sea, unfettered by various predators, with an eternal quest for life, some hatchlings make it to the ocean, while others end up in the food chain. This law of nature has been in existence since creation. Courage costs, nature is blunt – Turtles seemingly know & they pay.
For those that make it to the ocean, early years of their life are unknown to science, called the “lost years”. Hatchlings brave it to the deep waters, solitary, and after several hours of frantic flipping, seek refuge under flotsam. As they mature, they forage in and around sea corals, develop symbiotic relationships with fellow creatures.
Green Sea Turtles share a mutualism with the beautiful Yellow Tang Fish – Tangs feed on algae that covers the Turtles’ shell, but unlike other algae eaters, Tangs do not attack the Turtles, just act as cleaning agents, giving the Turtles a spring clean shell, making it easier for them to swim.
Just 1 turtle of a 1,000 makes it alive to adulthood. This survival ratio has held them in good stead for ages. Sadly, its not enough anymore. It’s not nature that’s decimating them, it’s us, humans!
Like humans, turtles breathe air, can even modulate their heart rates to conserve oxygen while underwater, however, they live in water, and surface every while to breathe. Irresponsibly disposed plastic waste, long-line fishing, and trawl nets end up trapping sea turtles underwater, suffocating them to death. Beyond that, Sea Turtles form part of the human food chain, a delicacy in many countries. Even state protection hasn’t been able to curb poaching of the species.
Question is, do sea turtles matter? Why conserve ‘em?
In case you’re still wondering if they’ll reunite with parents, the answer is – they’re all ONE! From the moment they’re born, Sea Turtles belong to earth, the true children of nature!
Like Sea Turtles, let’s live the ethos of ONE, join ONEFORBLUE – live the conservation movement.
In our next, learn what makes Sea Turtles important to us, or rather, why you are important to them. Top it with some cool facts on how Sea Turtles are different from land Turtles. Stay tuned.
Signing off…
Be OneForBlue!