The surprising thing about Turtles – their home here in Sri Lanka

 

It’s no surprise that Sri Lanka being an island, attracts a variety of turtles. These slow, graceful, pre-historic creatures are mesmerizing and frankly deserve all our respect. Roaming the oceans for millions of years, these marine warriors migrate through the seas with grace.

It’s hard to believe turtles only need to surface every thirty minutes for a breath, and when asleep they need so little oxygen to stay under the surface an entire night. Marine turtles reach sexual maturity only after 30 years with a life span of 80 -100 years.  Each nest usually carries between 80-120 eggs, and a female turtle may nest up to five times a season. When these little turtles hatch, they make their way in a frenzy straight to the sea, like little motorized water toys. The sad fact is that on average, every 1000 eggs laid will yield a single mature adult turtle.

Male turtles never come ashore once they join the sea as hatchlings, as they live fully in the ocean and have vast migration pathways. Only the females return to the same beach after mating at sea, with the sole aim of building nests and laying dozens of eggs. The quantity of eggs laid varies depending on the species of turtle. Once the eggs have already been placed and covered in sand, the female returns to the sea, never to be seen again. Predators such as stray dogs, crabs, birds, monitor lizards, and even people can follow the path left by its flippers to find the nest's location. As a result, only one or two hatchlings survive to adulthood out of dozens of eggs deposited by each turtle. Olive Ridley sea turtles are fragile, Loggerhead and Green sea turtles are endangered, and Leatherback and Hawksbill sea turtles are severely endangered, according to the WWF.

Turtles are slaughtered for their meat and eggs, which are considered delicacy, and their shells are used to make jewelry, which is the primary cause of their extinction. Other major factors are climate change and unorganized marine ecosystems. Poaching of turtles or their eggs for the purpose of making delicacies has decreased significantly, per the Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project, while poaching for the purpose of tourist attraction has remained. Some of the many turtle hatcheries dotting the island's southern coastal strip pay turtle egg collectors to ensure a continual supply of visitors to their premises. Even though all sea turtles and their eggs are protected under Sri Lankan law, poverty and unemployment continue to drive many people to the extremes of poaching. Nonetheless, efforts are being made to educate and increase awareness about the creatures in order to safeguard them.

The coasting beaches of the island are nesting grounds to five species including Green Turtles, Leatherback, Hawksbill, Loggerhead, and Olive Ridley Turtle. They all have selected specific areas and continue to nest in their territories. Along the southern coast, there are several hatcheries, which make a daily effort to protect the turtles, their eggs and their way of life. Saving turtles from poachers and predators has become more popular over recent years and local laws further support this cause. Stop in at a hatchery for a visit and, if you’re lucky, you might get a chance to release a few tiny turtles into the evening sunset, wishing them bon voyage with hope for their success in the circle of life.