We just got back from our morning walk on the beach and I am saddened by something that we saw. After walking for about 1/4 mile, we noticed these
weird tracks. Jim thought it was a wheelbarrow or some sort of wheeled something. We followed these tracks which were inside the track of a vehicle
that had illegally driven on the beach back to where they had released a bunch of baby turtles last night. It broke my heart to think about this poor
baby turtle racing down these tire tracks which of course ran parallel to the sea trying to find the water. He eventually did but by that time he had
gone over 1/2 mile down the beach and I wonder if he had any energy to swim and certainly had no energy to fend for himself.
To me this was conclusive evidence that we should not drive on the beach.Bruce R Leech - 4-16-2005 at 12:52 PM
did all the turtles git out to the water?
[Edited on 4-16-2005 by Bruce R Leech]bajajudy - 4-16-2005 at 02:07 PM
It sure looked like they did. There were a lot of these tracks all around...most were fortunate and made it straight to the water.Diver - 4-16-2005 at 09:40 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by bajajudy
To me this was conclusive evidence that we should not drive on the beach.
Isn't that a bit rash ? Especially given that they all seem to have made it to the water anyway.
Any chance it was the well-meaners that helped with or monitored the release that left the tracks ?
No offense to Turtles in general intended.
I lived in south Florida for years where the hotel lights confuse the little buggers into going the wrong way.
I, too, am a turtle lover
Skipjack Joe - 4-20-2005 at 06:01 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by bajajudy
It broke my heart to think about this poor baby turtle racing down these tire tracks which of course ran parallel to the sea trying to find the water.
Your observation gave me an idea. An enterprising young man could, say, drive his vehicle along the beach from the nesting area right to his kitchen
door. Thus, without too much effort there would be a steady supply of delicious fresh turtle meat available.
sea turtle soup
gringorio - 4-20-2005 at 06:18 PM
Here's a little something to get the turtle lovers' appetite going:
Turtles do not nest on all the beaches of Baja, but where they do, some informative signs at places where vehicles normally access the beach may do
wonders... Why did not one of those turtle huggers stay there for the night if this was a beach someone might drive on that night?
Instead of alienating a group, get their support and increase your numbers!David K - 4-20-2005 at 06:33 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by gringorio
Here's a little something to get the turtle lovers' appetite going:
It is not pretty, but neither is the slaughter of a cow, pig, or any animal for that matter. The turtle is/was a source of sea food to people... just
like fish. The best thing is to get people to not want to eat them through education, until their population returns in numbers that are deemed high
enough to end the ban.Skipjack Joe - 4-20-2005 at 06:42 PM
Actually I support the turtle conservation effort completely.
My comments were meant to be mischievous. It's sort of like telling one of those baby jokes that were popular during my adolescence to an expectant
mother. Like the one: what's red, white, red, white, red, white...... Answer: a baby chewing on a razor blade. Well, the response you get is a look
of absolute horror. What, are you sick or something? Well, I was just trying to get a similar response from bajajudy, I guess.
[Edited on 4-21-2005 by Skipjack Joe]gringorio - 4-20-2005 at 06:58 PM
All species of sea turtles are threatened with extinction within the foreseeable future (?Threatened? or ?Endangered?). Not in our lifetimes or those
of our grandchildren will we see the taking of sea turtles legalized.
One difference between the messiness of slaughtering cows, chickens, or other domesticated animals is that they are not threatened with extinction as
sea turtles are.
DK, you're right about education. It is one of the only ways to empower people - no matter what country you're from - to make informed decisions
about what we do with and to the environment of which we are part.
We all love Baja for many reasons. Because we travel there, live there, and recreate there, I feel we all have a responsibility to make informed
decisions about how we use its limited resources. This thought is one of the reasons for the creation of my web site. I wanted to make a place where
people could come to learn, share information, and discuss these kinds of issues, no matter how emotional or difficult they may be.
Here is a link to a list of conservation organizations that are working together with local citizens, fishermen, scientists and NGO's to educate
people and conserve the unique ecology of the Baja Peninsula and the Sea of Cortez:
Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
Actually I support the turtle conservation effort completely.
My comments were meant to be mischievous. It's sort of like telling one of those baby jokes that were popular during my adolescence to an expectant
mother. It's the shock value, I guess.
David K - 4-20-2005 at 08:57 PM
Thanks Greg for your efforts... Those turtles are sure cute, even if we can't legally eat them any more!
Diver - 4-20-2005 at 09:44 PM
Aww, go ahead and take a bite !!
No one will arrest her !
