Day 10

A sea turtle egg is protected on a beach in Kenya

Sea turtles: prehistoric marine reptiles that will soon only be found in museums?

Protecting sea turtle nests

Sea turtles have been crossing our oceans for more than 100 million years. They have survived the dinosaurs and defied continental drift. They are perfectly adapted to life in the sea. They can no longer retract their heads and their extremities, which have been transformed into fins, into their shells. They also have a special salt gland through which they can release a concentrated salt solution to regulate the salt content in their blood. Otherwise, survival in the salt water of the sea would not be possible. The prehistoric marine reptiles spend their entire lives in the sea. The females only have to come ashore to lay their eggs and dig a nest on the beach in which they can lay their eggs. They are very selective when it comes to choosing a nesting beach. The females always return to the beach where they themselves hatched to lay their eggs. This is why the preservation of nesting beaches, such as Watamu in Kenya, is so important.

need

Protecting sea turtle eggs buried in nests.

activity

Gamekeepers protect sea turtle eggs buried in the sand from poachers and disturbance by tourist activities.

Measurable performance

Number of eggs in sea turtle nests protected by rangers.

Result

More nests than before are successfully hatched. This increases the number of baby sea turtles hatched and thus their overall population.

Systemically relevant impact

The sea turtles' chances of survival are increased. Their nesting areas are protected and the local population contributes to their protection.

background

Sea turtles are found all over the world and can be found both near the coast and on the high seas. They spend their entire lives in the sea, with the females only coming to the beach to lay their eggs. They then return to the sea and the sun takes over the hatching of the eggs. The use of beaches by fishermen and especially by tourists has reached such an extent in many regions that it negatively affects the nesting activities of sea turtles and the hatching success of the baby turtles, thus endangering the survival of the marine reptiles (IUCN, 2004).

Many nesting beaches are threatened or destroyed by the construction of roads and hotel complexes. Artificial light sources such as hotel lighting and street lamps irritate the female turtles on their arduous journey to lay their eggs on the beach. The animals are also often disturbed and driven away by people who are walking on the beach or having a party. Deck chairs, parasols and other objects often represent insurmountable obstacles for the sea turtles. If they cannot find a clear path up to the beach, they turn back. They may then lay their eggs in the sea, which are then lost.

In some regions, sea turtle eggs are deliberately dug up by poachers. They sell the eggs as delicacies on the black market (IUCN, 2008). In Watamu, too, freshly laid nests are often the victims of poaching.

The good deed

The good deed protects the eggs of sea turtles in their nests on the beach of Watamu in Kenya. Beach patrols ensure that the sea turtles can lay their eggs undisturbed on the beach when they are laying their eggs. Until they hatch, the nests are protected from poachers and disturbances caused by tourist activities. If the nest was laid in an area that is heavily used by tourists, it is moved to a safe section of the beach. In addition, the nesting season is monitored, taking egg laying and hatching success into account. In order to promote the long-term protection of the animals, tourists and the local population are informed about the threat to sea turtles and the correct behavior on the nesting beach.