"Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of sea turtles a year are accidentally caught in [fishnets]. Sea turtles need to reach the surface to breathe, and therefore many drown once caught...As fishing activity expands, this threat is more of a problem."
What's a leatherback turtle?
Leatherback turtles are the largest of their family. They grow to an astonishing 2,000 lbs, and reach about 7 ft long, making them larger than most adult humans.
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| National Geographic's "size relative to average human" |
Leatherback turtles' shells are especially suited for speed and are very aerodynamic, but this does not help the fact that thousands of them each year are victims of bycatch, other human aquatic activities, or even taken as eggs to be eaten.
On a happier note, these turtles have special warmth adaptations so they can survive in colder waters. This is drastically different from other reptiles, who rely on outside sources to heat them up. Leatherbacks use a combination of blood distribution, fat and body mass, and swimming variation to help them maintain a warm temperature.
In the affairs of egg-laying, females (who make it to adulthood) will return to the same beach on which they hatched to lay their offspring. Mothers will carefully bury and hide their eggs so that natural predators have a hard time finding them.
Interestingly, eggs in the sand experiencing warm temperatures tend to come out female. Males usually hatch from cooler settings, and there is a fairly equal amount of both genders in the mid-80s.
Why are they endangered?
Ok everybody, get your tissues. Here's the bareback truth:
Only about 1 in 1000 baby turtles survive to adulthood. Most adults are killed in a variety of human-involved manners:
Bycatch. Terribly common, all types of sea turtles get caught accidentally in fishing nets. Often, they are killed, either with involvement by the fishermen or not.
Garbage. It's ridiculous how much trash ends up in the water. I'm not referring to chemicals or air pollution; just plain old plastic bags. Since leatherbacks survive mostly on various types of sea jellies, they can easily mistake someone's littering for good food.
Turtles have been found to have more than 10 pounds of plastic in their stomachs.
Habitat loss. Turtles hang around coral reefs to feed, and they rely on empty beaches to lay eggs. Many beaches have been set upon by humanity, removing many ideal places for offspring to hatch. The fewer empty beaches, the more chance of avoiding egg-eating predators.
Egg-eating predators can include humans. Unfortunately common in Southeast Asia, people have been known to collect eggs to consume or otherwise. Leatherback turtle populations have steeply declined in places around the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia. Not only eggs are collected, either. Leatherback turtles' shells are also illegally traded in such places.
Natural predators. Freshly hatched turtles have a hard enough time surviving all the human intervention, not even mentioning the massive swarms of land and air animals gathering to feast on these large sea creatures.
Why should we help?
Leatherback turtles are extremely important in keeping sea jelly populations in check. As these giants are already critically endangered, the proof of their necessity exists in the exploding zooplankton populations.
Leatherbacks are a heavily depended-upon part of marine food chains and ecosystems. They are linked to many species, and losing them would be devastating.
In commercial affairs, turtles remain a major attraction for tourists. Don't tell me you've never been excited to see the sea turtles when you go on vacation in island or seaside settings.
How can we help?
Wildlife Conservation Society is taking heavy action to not only spread awareness of the critical state of most sea turtle populations, but also directly help them via stopping bycatch, illegal trade, and protecting their habitats.
While there are various organizations that benefit endangered species you can donate to, one simple way to raise awareness and attention to different vulnerable animals is sharing this blog with literally everyone you have ever known. That might help.
This post has been very sad, but people need to know the facts to know what to do. Also, very sorry for the lack of pictures. This one was all info, and I couldn't find too many good photos of leatherbacks underwater. Thank you for reading, that is all.
Sources:
Wildlife Conservation Society provides quick facts and ways they are helping endangered species.
National Geographic never fails in laying out the bare facts and solid information, as well as stunning pictures.
World Wildlife Fund does a great job of not only providing interesting and credible information, but specific facts about why we should help each species and why they are endangered.
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