Turtle City

When I read stories like this one, two thoughts cross my mind. The first is, “Awesome! This is exactly what we need.” The second? “It’s about bloody time. Why haven’t we done this already?” Though sea turtle protection is long overdue—especially considering that all species of sea turtles are endangered—we can definitely welcome any protection now with open arms. Better late than never, right?

Since many sea turtles meet their untimely deaths in fisherman’s nets, a new device is being developed to target these nets in order to protect turtles. Fishery managers are using a Cape Cod company to develop a device that will allow them to continue using fishing nets while still protecting sea turtles.

Hopefully it’s not too good to be true. Read more

Dam will block migration routesIn the US it is easy to see rivers as recreational.  A place to sail, swim or fish.  But in many parts of the world rivers are often the life line for millions of of people. The Mekong River in southeast Asia is one such life line, and the residents who depend on this particular river say that the proposed building of 11 hydroelectric dams in Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos, will have a devastating affect on the humans and wildlife that depend on it. Read more

What's cooler and cuter than turtles? Baby turtles.

And what's cuter and cooler than baby turtles?

Baby turtles just hatching.

Giant Leatherbacked Turtles are Making a ComebackYou've heard of the crazy cat ladies, but have you heard of the "Crazy Turtle Lady"?  She's not so crazy afterall, and is a real-life hero to the Giant Leatherback Turtles in her native Trinidad.  Read more

Our leathery shelled friends have made the news multiple times this week: Read more

With all of the news of the swine flu epidemic coming out of Mexico, some brighter news is always welcome. These sea turtles, released in Puerto Escondido, Mexico on World Turtle Day last Saturday, are definitely a ray of light—not just for Mexico, but for sea turtles in general.

All species of sea turtles are labeled as either endangered or threatened, so any attempts to increase their population provide hope for their survival. Though it’s illegal to hunt most turtle varieties, they are still captured and sold as a delicacy in China and many other countries—as well as used for leather products such as shoes and wallets. Read more

In the last five months, Mandalya Bay has turned into a death port for caretta caretta sea turtles, also known as loggerhead turtles, an endangered species.  The death of these turtles is being blamed on on local fish farm operators who see the turtles as a threat to their farms.  Five turtles were found hacked to peices with their innards pulled out Read more

It seems that one of the four remaining Yangtze turtles left in the world was near to becoming someone's next pot of soup.  A few weeks ago, after severe flooding of the Dong Mo lake near Hanoi broke a dam, the rare turtle was swept away.  Cleveland Metroparks Zoo turtle conservationists feared that the trutle might be dead.

As it turns out the turtle had been swept away over the dam, and amazingly survived the fall, but was caught in a fishing net. Read more

In Malaysia turtles are getting support from local religious leaders.

State deputy assistant commissioner of mosque administration Kamaruddin Muhamad said the sermon would also include threats to the environment and the importance of preserving it in line with Islamic teachings.

Kamaruddin said a sermon on environmental conservation was delivered two years ago, but it did not touch on turtle conservation. Based on feedback, it was a success.

"We found that the congregation became more environmentally sensitive after the sermon in 2006. Read more

Check out these cool turtles, courtesy of National Geographic. Read more