Bumper Crop of Green Sea Turtles in the Philippines

More than a million green turtle eggs were laid last year on one of the Turtle Islands in the Philippines, breaking at least three records since recording of nesting there started in 1984, according to Conservation International.

CI reports that a total of 14,220 green turtle nests were recorded in Baguan in 2011, breaking the previous record of 12,311 nests in 1995. The 2011 figures translate to 2,844 nesting green turtles and 1.44 million turtle eggs laid.

 

Each morning on Baguan Island, Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary, the beach still shows the tracks the turtles make as they crawl across the sand to lay their eggs.

Female turtles crawl out of the water, usually at night, to dig a nest and lay their eggs. The entire process can take one to two hours. Turtles reach sexual maturity between 20 and 50 years old, and can live up to 200 years.

“1.44 million eggs is an astounding number and it presents great hope for boosting green turtle populations,” Romeo Trono, CI Philippines Country Executive Director, says.

A one percent survival rate sounds pretty awful, so it's no wonder so many eggs are required to maintain a stable population of these turtles.

The 36-hectare Baguan in southern Philippines is one of the nine islands of the Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area (TIHPA), a unique protected area jointly managed by two countries: Malaysia and the Philippines. It is made up of six islands of the Philippines’ Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary, where Baguan is located, and three islands of Sabah’s Turtle Islands Park (TIP).

After emerging from their nests, hatchlings immediately make their way to sea, starting a journey that may take them right back to where they hatched, where they will then lay their own eggs.

Baguan’s nesting records have been declining and dropped to as low as just over 4,000 nests in 2003. Poaching by foreign fishermen, egg harvesting by local communities for food and trade, destruction and disturbance of habitats through illegal fishing methods and weak law enforcement were identified as the causes of the decline in the sea turtle population in the sanctuary.

“The increasing nest numbers show that when turtles are protected on their nesting beaches and in the water for long enough, they will recover,” said Bryan Wallace, director of science for the Marine Flagship Species Program at CI. “The Turtle Islands are a globally important area for green turtles, especially for the West Pacific population, because of the relatively high abundance present and because of increasing protections for turtles in the area.”

Wardens assigned to the sanctuary live in the Turtle Islands field station for months at a time, patrolling against poachers and doing data monitoring activities like turtle tagging.

“These partnerships with other agencies like the Coast Guard and Marines provide a big boost to law enforcement efforts in the Turtle Islands,” said Mundita Lim, director of DENR’s Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau. “We also enjoy a good working relationship with our Sabah counterparts in charge of managing their side of the Turtle Islands. Turtles nest throughout the entire area, regardless of political boundaries. That is also the approach we are using in managing these islands through productive partnerships.”

Turtles can be a prime ecotourism attraction, and it is hoped that in future, tourism income will help support conservation efforts for Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary.

My second book in the Bella and Britt Series, Sea Turtle Summer, describes how the girls help save a Loggerhead sea turtle's best on the beach one summer day.  It's a great teaching tool for kids, especially with Earth Day, just around the corner!

Guest Post at Literarily Speaking Blog (Where Did My Muse Take Me?)

Did you ever wonder where the nugget of an idea for a book begins within the author's mind?  If so, please pop over to the Literarily Speaking Blog and find out how Sea Turtle Summer came to me.



I've had the privilege of visiting this blog previously, and it is always a pleasure.  I'll share a few lines of my guest post:

Sea Turtle Summer came to me, not on a glorious beach with glimmering white sand, but in a stark utilitarian hospital room. Talk about being led by your muse. She had to work wonders with this one.

Sea Turtle Summer may be purchased at Amazon.com, barnes & noble.com, Guardian Angel Publishing, and if you want an autographed copy, from my web or blog sites.

Loggerhead Turtles Showcased in Sea Turtle Summer

Loggerhead sea turtles are an ancient species, having been on this earth for up to forty million years.  These turtles have very large heads and strong jaws. They can weigh up to three hundred pounds as adults.

(Please view the sea turtle hatchling rescue at the bottom of the post.)

Loggerheads spend most of their lives in the open ocean and in shallow coastal waters. They rarely come ashore, with the exception of the females' brief visits to build nests and lay eggs.
This turtle is endangered worldwide. Their main enemy is human.  Because of pollution, reduction of habitat, fishing trawls, the population is dwindling.

Many people and organizations are trying to help these majestic creatures. They are protected by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. In the US and in many other parts of the world, disturbing a nest carries large fines. 

I hope my new children's book, Sea Turtle Summer, can do its part to help bring the turtles' plight to the attention of kids and their parents.  Education is the number one factor in conserving our planet.

Sea Turtle Summer is the second book in the Bella and Britt Series. The girls find a female sea turtle laying her eggs on the busiest beach in their town.  They see the female safely back into the sea, but what can they do to save the nest? 

This is not only an ecology book for children.  It is about kid empowerment as well.  Bella and Britt find themselves disagreeing with adults, and that makes for a sensitive situation. 

I would love for your children and grandchildren to read Sea Turtle Summer with you in the hope it will enlighten and uplift everyone who reads it. The book was launched on November 14 and can be found at: 

Sea Turtle Summer can be found at: Guardian Angel Publishing, amazon.com, barnes & noble.com, Fictionwise and at my web and blog sites, where autographed copies can be purchased:  http://nancystewartbooks.com and http://nancystewartbooks.blogspot.com/

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-sea-turtle-summer-by/#ixzz1ed8hU3Wx

One Day at a Time Review of Pelican

The whole Pelican gang is interviewed today at the terrific One Day at a Time Blog.  We are happy to be featured there!

Britt, Bella, Mr. Pelican and I hope One Pelican at a Time will be a childhood memory for many children.  We all want, parents, teachers, librarians and children's authors, to impress on our young people the necessity of taking care of the only earth we have.

We know that working with our kids one day at a time, we will be able to accomplish such a worthy task.  A task that kids will be proud to have achieved.  A task that they will pass on to their children.  A task that is not only politically correct but is imperative for our very existance. 

Let's all continue helping our kids make positive childhood memories, one day at a time!