Sea turtles need us!

Sea turtles need us!

  12/ SEP/ 2019

There are sea turtles in all sizes and colors. Turtles are reptiles, since they are cold blooded. This means that they are more or less related to snakes, crocodiles and lizards. All reptiles have in common a three-chamber heart and flaky skin.

Sea turtles live all over the world, with some prefer tropical waters, others prefer to be in colder waters. They are found in oceans, lagoons and bays, usually near the coastline. Some of the largest sea turtles are large divers and venture into the open sea in search of food.
Most types of sea turtles migrate, although not all do. Those who take part in migration, for breeding or to find food, can travel hundreds or thousands of kilometers to reach their destination. Most of them return to the place of their birth to carry out these activities. Mating takes place in the water, so we don't know much about it. All sea turtles lay their eggs digging ashore to deposit them. A single turtle can lay hundreds of eggs at once.
 
It is difficult to distinguish males and females, since they are very similar in size, weight and length.
 
Sea turtles spend most of their time in the water. Their bodies are designed to move in the water quickly. When females go ashore to nest their eggs, they can be very slow and find it difficult for them. Their bodies are not designed for this process, although they are fascinating to watch. They are very determined to reach the nesting area, lay their eggs, and return to the water. In general all this happens in two or three hours.
 
In general, sea turtles live a lonely life. They are not territorial, so it is common for them to overlap in the same habitat. Generally the only time they are in a group is during migration and mating. Even the new offspring that make their way to the water will live alone until they are mature enough for the mating process.
 
They can live 50 to 80 years in the wild. There are great conservation efforts, at present, to help ensure that they can live all this time. The protection of their natural habitat, both in water and on land, is vital to succeed with these efforts.
 
Almost all species of sea turtles are endangered species. This is due to the constant destruction of their natural habitat, as well as the contamination of the waters in which they live. They often face other dangers besides being hunted, their eggs are harvested as a food source, and they are trapped in fishing nets.
 
A lot of conservation efforts are being made to rescue them, and we hope that the number of sea turtles can increase !!!